tihtaxy  of t^he  theological  ^eminarjp 

PRINCETON    .   NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  Library  of 
Center  Church,  Hartford 

:BS2g>2S 


ON  THE  EPISTLES 


TO  THB 


SEVEN  CHURCHES  OF  ASIA 


iviV./    5    19  ?5 
PRACTICAL  EXipOSITION 


THE   EPrSTLES 


V\IITHDRAWII 


SEVEN  CHURCHESraR.  ASIA 


l.^       BY  Tim^ai* 


REV.  HENk1|'BLUNT,  AM, 

RECTOR  OF  STRfiS^^Mr^ SURREY  j^  -' 
LOW  OF  PEMBROKE  COLLEGE,  CAMBRIDGE,  ANI 
TO  HIS  GRACE  THE  DUKE  OF  RICHMOND.    . 

S.  S.  TEACITEP.'S  LIBUAUY, 


LATE  FELLOW  OF  PEMBROKE  COLLEGE,  CAMBRIDGE,  AND  CHAPLAIN 
TO  HIS  GRACE  THE  DUKE  OF  RICHMOND.  . 


0 


•."^'TT  V>  <'■' 


JJT^A  JL 


PHILADELPHIA: 
HOOKER  &  CLAXTON, 

NORTHWEST  CORNER  OF  CHESTNUT  AND  FIFTH  STREETS. 


1839. 


ecc  c      c   ,t  .  c  c  t  r 

t  c      c,*  '  «:«^  c 

c  c  c  c  c  !  «    «:  c  f 

c  c      c    ,  »  t  f  c  t 


*     ,««      €*.C    »««     *' 


C.  SHERMAN  AND  CO.  PRINTERS. 


PREFACE. 

[n  presuming  to  offer  an  exposition  of  any 
portion  of  the  mysterious  book  in  which  the 
Epistles  to  the  Churches  are  contained,  the 
Author  is  not  unmindful  of  the  commendation 
which  Joseph  Scaliger  bestowed  on  Calvin,  viz. 
That  he  had  shown  his  sense  as  much  by  not 
commenting  on  the  Book  of  Revelation,  as  he 
had  by  the  manner  in  which  he  had  com- 
mented on  the  other  Books  of  the  Bible.  With 
this  in  his  recollection,  he  ought  not,  perhaps, 
to  have  ventured  to  publish  even  upon  this  small 
but  important  portion  of  the  Book  of  Revela- 
tion; he  has,  however,  been  influenced  by  the 

consideration  that  although  all  may  not  agree 
1* 


VI  PREFACE. 


precisely  frriKe  iiiterpretatioii,  noiie  are  likely 
to  differ  in  thf;ij*  vieiw!  of  the  invaluable  practical 
lessons,  and  tlie,  ^ublirne:  -  aiicl  c/ieering  promises 
wl>i2h  ai^e  the  chieC.ieh'arScieristics  of;  these 
Epistles, 

In  aojreeinor  with  some  commentators*  in 
thinking  it  not  improbable  that  the  state  of  the 
Seven  Churches  of  Proconsular  Asia,  was 
typical  of  the  state  of  the  Christian  Church 
during  seven  different  periods,  reaching  from 
the  apostolical  age  to  the  end  of  time,  the 
Author  desires  not  to  dogmatise  upon  so  ob- 
scure a  subject,  but  simply  to  present  the  view, 
as  at  least  an  interesting  one,  to  the  conside- 
ration of  his  readers.  He  is  by  no  means 
wedded  to  this  particular  interpretation,  nor 
shall   he   quarrel   with  any  for  differing   from 

*  Many  before  the  Reformation  ;  and  Brightman,  Forbes, 
Mede,  More,  Gill,  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Vilringa,  Lampe, 
and  others,  since  that  period. 


PREFACE.  VU 

him  upon  a  point  of  such  uncertainty;  his 
chief  object  and  aim  have  been  to  find  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  all  these  Epistles,  as  the 
great  Head  of  the  Church,  manifesting  Him- 
self as  the  Creator,  the  Saviour,  the  Sanctifier 
of  His  people, — at  once  the  Beginner  of  their 
faith,  and  the  consummation  of  their  joy. 

If  he   have    succeeded  in   this,  and  in  con- 
veying  to   the   minds   and   hearts   of  the  true 
children  of  God,  more  elevated  and  more  com- 
forting   and    more  influential   views   of    Him, 
whom  having  not  seen,  they  love,  he  shall  be 
thankful,  although  he  may  not  carry  them  with 
him  in   the   particular   mode   of  interpretation 
w^iich  he  has  adopted.     Should  he  have  failed 
in  both  these  objects,  he  would  still  venture  to 
hope  that  the  direct  personal  appeals,  and  the 
close  and  pointed  applications  to  the  conscience, 
abounding  in   these   remarkable  Epistles,  may 
not  be  without  a  blessing  either  to  himself,  or 


Vlil  PREFACE. 

to  those  into  whose  hands  his  work  may  fall; 
and  he  would  in  all  humility  rest  this  expecta- 
tion upon  the  promise  so  clearly  conveyed  in 
Rev.  i.  3,  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,"  earnestly 
desiring  the  prayers  of  his  readers  that  this 
blessing  may  not  be  withheld. 


Streatham  Rectory, 

Feb.  1st,  1838. 


CONTENTS. 


PRACTICAL  EXPOSITION. 


LECTURE  I. 
Revelation  i.  3. 


"  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear,  the 
words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are 
written  therein." 1 


LECTURE  II. 

EPISTLE  TO  EPHESUS. 

Revelation  ii.  5. 

"  Remember,  therefore,  from  whence  thou  art  fallen; 
and  repent,  and  do  the  first  works ;  or  else  I  will  come 
unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of 
his  place,  except  thou  repent."        ....      41 


X  CONTENTS. 

LECTURE  III. 

EPISTLE  TO  SMYRNA. 

Revelation  ii.  9. 

"  I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation,  and  poverty,  but 
thou  art  rich." 67 

LECTURE  IV. 

EPISTLE  TO  PERGAMOS. 

Revelation  ii.  17. 

"  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the 
hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in 
the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth, 
slaving  he  that  receiveth  it." 95 

LECTURE  V. 

EPISTLE  TO  THYATIRA. 

Revelation  ii.  28. 

"  And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star."      .         .      129 

LECTURE  VI. 

EPISTLE  TO  SARDIS. 

Revelation  iii.  3. 

"Remember,  therefore,  how  thou  hast  received  and 
heard,  and  hold  fast,  and  repent."        ,        .        .        159 


CONTENTS.  XI 

LECTURE  VII. 

EPISTLE  TO  PHILADELPHIA. 

Revelation  iii.  12. 

"  Him  that  overcometh  vvil]  I  make  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out."    .     185 

LECTURE  VIII. 

EPISTLE  TO  LAODICEA. 

Revelation  iii.  20. 

"  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock :  if  any  man 
hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him, 
and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."       .         .       215 


pract" 


•^};«' 


LECTURE   I. 

Revelation  i.  3. 

Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the  words 
of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  writ- 
ten therein. 

The  astonishing  book  from  which  these 
words  are  taken,  and  to  the  contents  of 
which  they  so  remarkably  refer  is  un- 
doubtedly less  known,  and  less  read,  and 
less  valued  by  the  generality  of  Chris- 
tians, than  any  other  portion  of  the  canon 
of  Scripture.  It  is  viewed  by  unthinking 
persons  as  a  mere  collection  of  unintel- 
2 


14  LECTORS  I 

ligible  visions,  in  which  they  can  have 
no  possible  concern,  and  which,  if  they 
peruse  at  di,  it  is  rather  from  a  sort  of 
^indefinable  pleasure;  imparted  by  the  gor- 
geous descriptions,  and  the  dim,  though 
terrific  shadowings  of  those  things  which 
pass  within  the  veil,  than  from  any  very 
serious  expectation  of  deriving  per- 
manent and  spiritual  improvement.  It 
is  remarkable  then,  and  as  if  with  the 
intention  of  guarding  us  against  that 
frame  of  mind  in  which,  as  the  fore- 
knowledge of  God  was  perfectly  aware, 
we  should  be  tempted  to  view  this 
revelation  of  his  will,  that  we  have  the 
direct  assertion  of  the  text,  "  Blessed 
is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear, 
the  words  of  this  prophecy ;"  and  it  is 
still  more  remarkable,  that  this  is  the 
only  book  in  the  canon  of  Scripture, 
and  these  the  only  prophecies,  to  the 
perusal  of  which  so  high  an  honour  is 
attached,  so  peculiar  a  promise  vouch- 
safed. 


L^TURi?!.  15 

It  is,  however:  fiut 'iusti*:0  to 'Confess, 
that  very  plausible  excuses  fdf  the*  total 
neglect  of  this  iiVy^tefFous  f^bok  have 
been  furni^heii,  'by  the  -iTijncHciobs  gnti. 
intemperate  efforts  of  many  of  its  coni- 
mentators,  who  forgetting  that  prophecy 
was  not  intended  to  make  men  prophets, 
have  brought  the  study  of  it  into  dis- 
repute, by  the  repeated  failures  of  their 
own  unwarranted  predictions.  We  can- 
not, however,  regret  the  less,  on  that 
account,  that  those  portions  of  the  pro- 
phecy, which  are  plain  and  obvious  should 
be  consigned  to  absolute  neglect;  and 
because  much  has  been  misinterpreted, 
and  much  is  incapable,  at  present,  of 
interpretation,  that  the  whole  of  this 
invaluable  record  of  divine  truth  should 
be  suffered  to  lie  disregarded  and  un- 
read. For  however  great  may  be  the 
difficulties  attached  to  the  more  advanced 
portions  of  the  prophecy,  the  contents 
of  the  second  and  third  chapters,  con- 
taining the  seven  epistles   to  the  seven 


16  LiJECTUREr/: 

churcbes ':0[f :  Procon^ujar  Asia,  are  of 
so  pecdliaily  instrqcUve  a  character,  so 
full  of  .mdiyidiial  int<3rest,  and  of  prac- 
:tical  improv,epfieiit,  tha'J; ;  ijt  ij5  impossible 
to  read  them  with  any  attention,  without 
being  impressed  by  the  invaluable  lessons 
of  Christian  doctrine  and  practice,  the 
earnest  calls  to  repentance  and  amend- 
ment of  life,  and  the  encouraging  pro- 
mises of  assistance  and  acceptance,  which 
they  so  abundantly  contain.  Impressed 
with  these  feelings,  we  trust  it  will  be  no 
unprofitable  employment  to  tread  together 
this  hallowed  ground,  to  linger  for  awhile 
in  this  vestibule  of  the  temple  of  pro- 
phecy, and  wonder  and  adore  ;  while  ever 
and  anon  we  catch  a  passing  glance 
through  the  thin  veil  which  hangs  be- 
tween, of  the  things  which  have  been 
seen,  "  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the 
things  which  shall  be  hereafter."* 

It  is  the  commonly  received   opinion, 
in  which  Bishop  Newton,  and  Scott,  and 

*  Revelation  i.  19. 


LECTURE  I.  17 

most  of  the  modern  commentators  unite, 
that  the  epistles,  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred, were  merely  directions  to  the 
seven  different  churches  to  which  they 
are  addressed ;  and  prophetical,  only 
so  far  as  regarded  the  fate  of  those 
particular  churches.  Notwithstanding 
these  high  authorities,  however,  we  are 
disposed  to  believe  that  while  these 
epistles  no  doubt  contained  messages 
expressly  applicable  to  the  churches 
whose  name  they  bear,  they  had  also 
a  secondary  application  of  a  less  obvious 
and  literal  character  :  since  it  is  most 
improbable  that  in  a  book,  every  other 
portion  of  which  is  highly  prophetical, 
figurative,  and  symbolical,  these  opening 
chapters  alone  should  be  merely  literal 
and  didactic. 

We  consider,  then,  that  these  seven 
epistles,  taken  in  the  order  in  which 
they  were  written,  portray  as  types, 
and  possibly  predict  as  prophecies,  the 
different  states  of  the  Christian  Church, 
2* 


18  LECTURE  I. 

from  the  period  at  which  they  were 
penned,  through  seven  successive  ages,^ 
stretching  through  all  time,  and  reaching 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  Thus 
fulfiUing  the  expectation  of  our  text, 
that  we  are  about  to  read  a  very  inte- 
resting series  of  types  or  prophecies,  and 
not  merely  of  spiritual  lessons,  however 
useful ;  and  thereby  keeping  up  a  close 
and  obvious  analogy  with  all  the  re- 
maining prophecies,  the  seven  seals,  the 
seven  trumpets,  and  the  seven  vials, 
which  occupy  the  larger  portion  of  this 
astonishing  book. 

So  far,  then,  as  the  types  in  these 
epistles  have  been  hitherto  fulfilled, 
it  will  be  one  of  the  intentions  of 
these  discourses  to  point  out  their 
accomplishment.  Prophecy  is  every  hour 
changing  into  history ;  what  was  pro- 
phecy to  one  generation,  becomes  his- 
tory to  their  children :  thus  the  Ba- 
bylonish captivity,  for  instance,  which  was 
prophecy   to   Jeremiah,   was   history   to 


LECTURE  I.  19 

Daniel;  the  coming  of  the  Messiah, 
which  was  prophecy  to  every  generation 
from  Adam  to  Malachi>  was  history  to 
the  apostles ;  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews, 
which  were  prophecy  to  the  apostles, 
were  history  to  the  fathers  of  the 
Christian  Church ;  while  the  events 
which  were  prophecy  to  our  fathers,  have 
become,  by  the  wonderful  facts  of  the 
last  forty  years,  history  to  us. 

It  is,  then,  with  prophecy  which  has 
become  history,  with  types  which  have 
been  merged  in  their  antitypes,  that 
while  on  this  portion  of  each  of  the 
epistles,  we  shall  be  engaged ;  trusting 
that  so  doing,  we  shall  inherit  the 
especial  promise  of  the  text,  "  Blessed 
is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear, 
the  words  of  this  prophecy ;"  and  pray- 
ing, that  the  consideration  may  tend 
to  excite,  both  in  the  mind  of  him  who 
readeth,  and  of  you  who  hear,  a  stronger 
persuasion  of  the  intimate  foreknowledge 


20  LECTURE  I. 

and  wonderful  counsel  of  God,  and  of 
the  deep  and  blessed  interest  which  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  ever  taken,  and 
will  ever  take,  in  the  well-being  of  his 
Church  ;  until  He  has  guided  her  vessel 
through  all  the  storms  and  tempests  that 
await  her  here,  and  carried  her  in  safety 
to  the  haven  where  she  would  be. 

Prophecy,  however,  under  whatever 
shape,  will  form  but  a  very  small  portion 
of  our  observations.  The  blessing  of 
the  text  extends  not  merely  to  reading 
and  to  hearing,  but  to  "  keeping  those 
things  that  are  written  therein  ;"  for  it 
is  scarcely  possible,  throughout  the  whole 
of  the  Scriptures  of  truth,  to  select  a 
passage  so  abundant  in  warning,  so 
replete  with  encouragement,  above  all, 
so  full  of  practical  advice,  as  are  these 
seven  epistles  to  the  churches.  Our 
earnest  prayer,  therefore,  is,  that  while 
we  but  slightly  glance  at  the  completion 
of  their  prophecies,  we  may  be  led  to 
speak  plainly,  usefully,  and  affectionately 


LECTURE  I.  21 

upon  the  great  practical  lessons  they 
bequeath  to  us ;  that  as  each  stage  of  the 
Church's  history  passes  in  rapid  review 
before  us,  we  may  gather  some  word  of 
profit  for  our  own  souls,  some  practical 
suggestion  for  the  improvement  of  our 
own  hearts  and  conversation. 

Having  thus  referred,  as  we  felt  it 
necessary  to  do,  to  the  nature  of  those 
subjects  which  we  hope  to  place  before 
you  in  the  following  discourses,  we  shall 
proceed  to  offer  some  brief  remarks  upon 
the  manner  in  which  these  important 
messages,  or  epistles,  were  communi- 
cated to  St.  John,  to  deliver  them  to 
the  churches  for  which  they  were  in 
the  first  instance  more  immediately  de- 
signed, and  to  commit  them  as  a  per- 
petual possession  to  the  universal  Church 
of  Christ,  that  they  might  take  their 
place  in  the  canon  of  Scripture,  and 
hang  among  the  brightest  lamps  of  the 
sanctuary  for  ever. 

We  derive  the  account  from  the  pen 


22  LECTURE  I. 

of  the  beloved  apostle  himself,  in  the 
chapter  from  which  the  text  is  taken, 
where  we  read  at  the  9th  verse,  "  I 
John,  who  also  am  your  brother,  and 
companion  in  tribulation,  and  in  the 
kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ, 
was  in  the  isle  that  is  called  Patmos, 
for  the  word  of  God  and  for  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus  Christ.  I  was  in  the 
Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  heard 
behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trum- 
pet, saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  first  and  the  last:  and,  What  thou 
seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  it 
unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in 
Asia;  unto  Ephesus,  and  unto  Smyrna, 
and  unto  Pergamos,  and  unto  Thyatira, 
and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto  Philadelphia, 
and  unto  Laodicea.  And  I  turned  to 
see  the  voice  that  spake  with  me,  and 
being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks, and  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  can- 
dlesticks one  like  unto  the  Son  of  man." 
Such  is  the  august  and  striking  man- 


LECTURE  I.  23 

ner  in  which  these  deeply  interesting 
communications  were  made  to  the  evan- 
gelist. In  other  instances  of  Divine 
communication,  we  find  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  sometimes  reveahng  His  mes- 
sages to  the  sons  of  men,  in  dreams 
or  visions  of  the  night ;  at  others  by 
the  silent  and  subtile  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  no  one  knowing  "  whence 
it  Cometh,  or  whither  it  goeth ;"  but 
here,  the  revelation  was  made  in  his 
own  person  and  by  himself;  w^hile,  as 
we  shall  presently  see,  never  did  the 
Divine  Saviour  of  the  world  appear  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  His  people  in  so 
impressive  and  majestic  a  form,  and 
never  shall  He  so  appear  again,  until 
He  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of  hea- 
ven, and  every  eye  shall  see  him,*  as 
He  manifested  Himself  upon  that  Sab- 
bath day,  to  that  lonely  and  desolate 
exile  in  the  Isle  of  Patmos.  So  true 
is  it,  that  "  as  the  sufferings  of  Christ 

*  Revelation  i.  7. 


24  LECTURE  I. 

abound  in  us,  so  our  consolation  also 
aboundeth  by  Christ  ;"*  that  never  does 
the  Saviour  call  forth  one  of  his  be- 
lieving people  in  any  age,  to  an  espe- 
cial degree  of  suffering,  or  trial,  or 
temptation,  or  sorrow,  without  compen- 
sating, and  far  more  than  compensating 
him,  by  the  richer  consolations  of  His 
love,  by  the  fuller  and  more  glorious 
manifestations  of  Himself.  We  believe, 
even  at  the  present  hour,  that  many 
a  poor  and  wretched  hovel,  whose  de- 
spised inmate  is  a  partaker  of  the 
sufferings  of  Christ,  is  enriched  and 
enlightened  by  the  spiritual  presence 
of  the  Redeemer  to  an  extent  to  which 
the  fairest  mansion  of  the  unsuffering 
Christian  is  utterly  a  stranger;  while 
probably  even  St.  John  himself,  close 
and  intimate  as  was  his  knowledge  of 
the  Saviour,  and  dear  and  constant  his 
communion  with  Him  while  on  earth, 
never   beheld   half  His  glories,  or  con- 

*  9  Corinthians  i.  5. 


LECTURE  I.  25 

ceived  of  half  His  majesty  and  power, 
until  now  in  his  hour  of  despondency  and 
trial,  banished  from  the  abodes  of  men 
"  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,"  he  was 
visited  by  Christ  Himself  in  person  in 
the  island  of  his  exile. 

Before  we  speak  of  the  supernatural 
appearance  which  our  Lord  assumed  on 
this  occasion,  we  must  advert  to  the 
situation  in  which  the  apostle,  when  he 
had  turned  himself,  as  he  expresses 
it,  upon  hearing  that  "great  voice,  as 
of  a  trumpet,"  first  beheld  the  Saviour. 
It  was  "  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
candlesticks."*  These,  as  we  are  after- 
wards informed,!  typified  the  seven 
churches  to  which  the  Epistles  were 
to  be  addressed ;  and  if  these  again 
were,  as  we  beheve,  types  of  the 
seven  different  stages  of  the  Christian 
Church  throughout  all  time ;  the  fact 
of  our  Lord  revealing  Himself  as  stand- 
ing, or  walking  in   the  midst  of  them, 

*  Revelation  i.  13.  t  See  '^Oth  verse. 

3 


26  LECTURE  I. 

demonstrates  how  incessantly  He  is  em- 
ployed in  watching  over,  in  caring  for, 
and  guiding  His  Church  on  earth  ;  bless- 
ing it  with  His  continual  presence, 
and  daily  fulfilling  His  most  gracious 
promise,  "  Lo !  I  am  with  you  always, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

While  the  Church  is  symbolised  not 
by  candles,  but  by  "  candlesticks,"  show- 
ing that  although  eminently  serviceable 
in  dispensing  the  light,  it  has  no  light 
of  itself,  but  that  it  stands  as  a  mere 
depositary  of  the  light  of  God's  word* 
and  of  God's  grace,  in  every  age, 
among  the  benighted  people  of  the 
world ;  holding  forth  to  them  that  ra- 
diance which  is  shed  from  the  fountain 
of  light,  upon  its  ministers  and  people. 
The  candlesticks  were  "  golden,"  to 
mark  the  matchless  value  of  a  Christian 
church,  and  a  Christian  ministration. 
Yet,  brethren,  as  the  eye  of  the  apostle 
fell  upon  those  golden  branches,  be  sure 
it  dwelt  not  for   a  moment  upon  their 


LECTURE  I.  27 

inimitable  beauty,  but  saw,  and  saw 
only,  Him  who  stood  among  them.  So 
let  it  be  with  you ;  learn  to  look  beyond 
the  most  valuable  of  duties,  the 
most  golden  of  ordinances,  to  the  Sa- 
viour, from  whom  alone  they  derive 
their  beauty,  their  excellence,  and  their 
power.  Value  your  Church,  and  next 
to  the  Saviour,  you  cannot  value  her 
too  dearly ;  but  remember,  that  she  her- 
self desires  to  be  accounted  but  as  the 
humble  handmaid  of  her  Lord.  In  all 
her  prayers  she  teaches  you  to  look  to 
Christ ;  in  all  her  praises,  to  dwell  on 
Christ;  in  all  her  offices,  to  draw  near 
to  Christ ;  as  every  ray  of  light  which 
beams  from  the  golden  candlesticks, 
and  brings  knowledge,  or  grace,  or  love 
into  your  souls,  is  from  Him  "  who 
dwelleth  in  the  light  which  no  man 
can  approach  unto,"  and  is  indeed  the 
great  source  of  light  itself;  so  does  your 
apostolical  Church  desire  that  every  ray 
should    be    reflected    back   again   to   its 


28  LECTURE  I. 

Divine  source,  conveying  glory,  and 
thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and  praise, 
unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever. 

We  proceed  with  the  detail  which 
the  apostle  gives  of  the  appearance  of 
the  Saviour.  "  He  was  clothed  with 
a  garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt 
about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle. 
His  head  and  His  hairs  were  white 
like  wool,  as  white  as  snow;  and 
His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire  ;  and 
His  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if 
they  burned  in  a  furnace ;  and  His 
voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters."* 

The  long  "garment  down  to  the 
foot,"  was  expressly  appointed  by  God 
to  be  worn  by  the  High  Priest.  By 
our  Lord  therefore  appearing  in  this 
sacerdotal  garment.  He  revealed  to  St. 
John,  that  although  in  heaven.  He 
still  retains  the  ofiice  of  the  Priest- 
hood, conferred  upon  Him  as  Mediator, 

*  Revelation  i.  13,  14,  15. 


LECTURE  I  29 

by  the  Almighty,  when,  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, "  The  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not 
repent,  Thou  art  a  Priest  for  ever  after 
the  order  of  Melchizedec."*  It  was  as 
a  Priest  that  the  apostle  says,  "  Christ 
entered  into  heaven  with  His  own 
blood,"  and  after  he  had  offered  one 
sacrifice  for  sins,  "  a  full,  perfect,  and 
sufficient  sacrifice,"  for  ever  sat  down 
at  the  right  hand  of  God ;  "  for  by 
one  offering,  He  hath  perfected  for 
ever,  them  that  are  sanctified."  It  is 
as  a  Priest,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
stands  at  this  moment  before  the  throne 
of  God,  presenting  His  merits  in  be- 
half of  his  people,  and  offering  there, 
their  petitions  and  their  praises. 

But  He  was  also  "girt  about  the 
paps  with  a  golden  girdle."  Among 
eastern  nations,  the  girdle  was  a  most 
essential  portion  of  the  attire,  when  pre- 
pared  for    any   active   employment ;    it 

*  Psairn  ex.  4. 

a* 


30  LECTURE  I. 

was  not  worn  in  the  house,  but  put 
on  preparatory  to  engaging  in  exer- 
cise ;  and  to  this  frequent  allusion  is 
made  in  the  gospels,  "  the  loins  girded," 
being  a  proverbial  expression  for  rea- 
diness for  action.  Our  Lord  therefore 
manifesting  Himself  as  girded,  demon- 
strated that  He  was  actively  employed ; 
that  although  glorified,  although  returned 
to  the  everlasting  joys  of  His  kingdom. 
He  was  still  the  wakeful,  watchful,  in- 
defatigable guardian  of  His  Church. 
That  He  who  had  once  girded  Him- 
self with  a  towel,  and  washed  His  dis- 
ciple's feet,  had  now  put  on  his  golden 
girdle  of  kingly  dignity,  for  higher  and 
more  noble  services  ;  that  He  was  gone, 
as  He  had  predicted,  to  prepare  thrones 
for  his  apostles,  upon  which  they  should 
sit  with  Him,  judging  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel ;  and  that  not  they  alone, 
but  that  all  who,  by  His  strength,  should 
be  enabled  to  overcome,  should  sit  down 
with    him    upon    His    throne,   even    as 


LECTURE  I.  3\ 

He  also  overcame,  and  is  set  down  with 
His  Father  upon  His  throne. 

In  continuing  the  description  of  our 
Lord,  we  read  that  "  His  head  and  His 
hair  were  as  white  as  snow/'  This  is 
a  very  striking  pecuHarity  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  Christ  upon  this  occasion  ; 
it  must  have  rendered  him  totally 
ditferent  from  the  same  Jesus,  whom 
St.  John  had  last  beheld,  hurried  from 
the  earth,  when  only  three  and  thirty 
years  of  mortal  life  had  been  completed. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
this  appearance  was  adopted  in  the  pre- 
sent instance  by  Christ  to  mark  His 
eternity  and  divinity,  since  it  forms  a 
complete  counterpart  to  that  descrip- 
tion of  the  great  Jehovah,  in  the  7th 
chapter  of  Daniel,  where  it  is  said,  "  I 
beheld  the  Ancient  of  days,  whose  gar- 
ment was  as  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair 
of  His  head  like  pure  wool."  By  our 
Lord  therefore  appearing  thus,  he  seems 
to  mark  His  identity  with  God  the  Father. 


32  LECTURE  I. 

Again.  "  His  eyes  were  like  a  flame 
of  fire,"  piercing  and  penetrating  into 
all  things;  this  agrees  well  with  that 
declaration  of  St.  Peter,  "All  things 
are  naked  and  opened  unto  the  eyes  of 
Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do,"  and 
portrays  therefore  the  omniscience  and 
omnipresence  of  the  "  everlasting  Son 
of  the  Father." 

The  "  brazen  feet,"  symbolise  the 
strength,  and  firmness,  and  decision  of 
all  the  footsteps  of  Christ,  whether  in 
providence  or  grace ;  while  His  "  voice," 
described  "  as  the  sound  of  many  waters," 
marks  at  once  its  majesty  and  power. 
His  "face  shone  as  the  sun  shineth  in 
his  strength;"  thus  preserving  while  in 
glory  precisely  the  same  appearance 
witnessed  by  this  very  apostle,  on  the 
mount  of  transfiguration,  where  "  His 
face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  His 
raiment  was  white  as  the  light,  so  as 
no  fuller  on  earth  could  white  them."* 

*  xMark  ix.  3. 


LECTURE  I.  33 

Such,  brethren,  was  the  appearance 
of  that  wonderful  Being  when  He  de- 
Hvered  those  important  prophecies,  and 
those  valuable  spiritual  instructions,  which 
we  hope  to  place  before  you  ;  that  gra- 
cious Saviour,  by  whose  name  every 
individual  among  us  this  day  is  called, 
in  whose  house  we  are  now  assembled, 
to  whose  kingdom  we  hope  we  are  jour- 
neying, and  in  whose  presence  we  pro- 
fess to  desire  to  spend  a  glorious  and 
happy  eternity. 

Examine,  then,  your  knowledge  of 
Him  in  all  His  offices,  by  the  portrait- 
ure which  has  now  been  set  be- 
fore you.  Dwell  upon  each  particular, 
in  the  silence  of  your  own  chamber, 
until  you  realise  His  immediate  pre- 
sence, and  actually  hold  converse  with 
Himself.  To  assist  you  in  this,  consi- 
der— The  predictions  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  demonstrate  that  He  is  a  Prophet; 
it  is  the  prophet's  office  to  instruct,  as 
well  as  to  predict.      Have  you,  with  a 


34  LECTURE  1. 

humble,  teachable  heart,  sought  your 
instruction  in  divine  things,  at  the  lips 
of  Christ  Himself,  and  by  the  influence 
of  His  good  Spirit  ?  The  "  garment 
down  to  the  foot"  has  proclaimed  Him 
to  be  a  Priest ;  are  you  looking  for  ac- 
ceptance simply  to  the  great  atonement, 
which  none  but  a  priest  could  offer,  and 
expecting  answers  to  your  prayers  simply 
through  that  intercession,  which  none  but 
a  priest  could  make  ? 

His  "  golden  girdle"  declared  Him 
to  be  a  King ;  is  he  then  your  King  ? 
is  His  will  your  law;  His  word  your 
rule  of  life;  and  can  you  truly  say, 
"  Other  Lords  besides  thee  have  had 
dominion  over  us,"  but  now  we  own 
no  king  but  Thee ;  no  ruler  but  Thy- 
self? If  you  have  thus  accepted  Him 
as  your  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King,  with 
your  whole  heart,  every  other  portion  of 
the  description  will  well  harmonise  with 
the  image  of  the  Saviour,  already  formed* 
within  your  breast. 

*  See  Galalians  iv.  19 


LECTURE  I.  85 

You  will  rejoice  that  "  His  eyes  are 
as  a  flame  of  fire,"  for  you  will  know, 
that  with  them  he  watches  about  your 
path  and  about  your  bed,  that  no  evil 
should  come  nigh  your  dwelling ;  that 
with  them  he  looks  into  your  heart, 
and  however  men  may  misunderstand  or 
misrepresent  you.  He  sees  the  smallest 
desire  after  holiness,  the  first  bursting 
of  the  seed  of  grace  which  He  Him- 
self has  sown,  and  will  accept  "  accord- 
ing to  that  a  man  hath,  and  not  accord- 
ing to  that  he  hath  not."* 

Again  when  those  around  you  are 
changing,  and  earthly  friends  are  falling 
from  you  by  caprice  and  death,  while 
all  else  is  mutable,  you  will  delight  in 
looking  upon  that  head  "  as  white  as 
snow,"  which  recalls  your  Lord  to  you, 
as  one  who  inhabiteth  eternity,  and  you 
will  turn  to  Him,  "  the  Ancient  of 
days,"  who  has  said,  "  I  am  the  Lord, 
I     change     not,"     "  Jesus     Chri&t,    the 

*  2  CoriDlhians  viii.  12. 


36  LECTURE  I. 

same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever ;" 
and  you  will  find  him  to  be  a  never- 
failing,  never-varying  friend.  And  when 
you  shall  be  called  to  struggle  with 
the  last  great  enemy,  you  will  cling 
the  closer  with  a  true  and  living  faith 
to  Him,  who  went  down  Himself  into 
the  tomb,  and  with  His  "  feet  of  brass," 
bruised  for  ever  the  serpent's  head, 
and  trampled  upon  the  powers  of 
darkness  in  their  own  dominions;  and 
you  will  receive  from  Him  the  fuliil- 
ment  of  His  own  most  blessed  promise, 
"  thy  shoes  shall  be  iron  and  brass  ;  and 
as  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."* 

Nay,  the  grave  itself  shall  not  rob 
you  of  the  blessings  with  which  this 
appearance  of  our  Lord  presents  you, 
for  even  there,  amidst  the  silence  and 
the  gloom  of  its  narrow  dwelhng-house, 
shall  you  hear  His  powerful  voice,  **  as 
the  sound  of  many  waters,"t  calling  you 
up   to    liberty   and    life    in    that    great 

«  Deuteronomy  xxxiii.  25.  t  Revelation  i.  15. 


LECTURE  I.  37 

day,  when  all  that  are  in  the  graves 
shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
man,  and  shall  come  forth;  and  He 
shall  say  unto  you  who  have  departed 
this  life  in  His  faith  and  fear,  "Come, 
ye  blessed  children  of  my  Father,  re- 
ceive the  kingdom  prepared  for  you 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world."  For 
all  these  are  among  the  covenanted 
blessings  which  Christ  Himself  has 
promised  to  those  who  read,  and  hear, 
and  keep  the  things,  which  are  written 
in  the  book  of  life. 


EPISTLE    TO    EPHESUS. 


LECTURE    II. 

Revelation  ii.  5. 

Remember  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  re- 
pent, and  do  the  first  works ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto 
thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his 
place,  except  thou  repent 

In  pursuance  of  the  intention  ex- 
pressed in  the  last  lecture,  we  are 
now  to  commence  our  observations 
upon  the  first  of  the  seven  epistles  to 
the  churches  of  Proconsular  Asia. 
May  that  blessed  Spirit,  who  in  these 
portions  of  Holy  writ  once  spake  unto 
the  churches,  be,  upon  each  occasion 
of  our  considering  them,  poured  out 
4* 


42  LECTURE  II. 

upon  US,  and  may  He  who  "  hath  the 
residue  of  the  Spirit,"  direct  these  im- 
perfect efforts  to  the  furtherance  of 
the  work  of  divine  grace  in  our 
hearts,  and  to  the  permanent  extension 
of  his  own  kingdom  and  glory.  The 
first  epistle  is  inscribed  to  the  angel 
or  bishop  of  the  church  of  Ephesus, 
which  we  imagine  to  have  been  first 
selected  by  our  Lord,  because,  from 
the  peculiar  circumstances  of  that 
church,  it  formed  the  best  epitome  of 
the  state  of  the  whole  Christian 
Church,  at  the  particular  period  alluded 
to  in  this  epistle.  It  was  indeed  a 
picture  of  "  the  things  which  are,"  in 
reference  to  the  command  given  by 
Christ  to  the  apostle,  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  when  he  said,  "Write 
the  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and 
the  things  which  are,  and  the  things 
which  shall  be  hereafter."* 

We    consider,    then,    this    epistle   as 

*  Revelation  i.  19. 


LECTURE  II.  43 

marking  primarily,  the  condition  of  the 
Church  of  Ephesus  at  the  time  when  it 
was  written  ;  and  secondarily,  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  the 
apostolical  age,  when  it  still  retained 
much  of  sincere  and  heartfelt  love  of 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  a 
zealous  opposition  to  false  teachers,  such 
as  Ebion  and  Cerinthus,  and  their 
doctrines,  with  which,  as  our  Lord 
foretold,  "they  should  deceive  many;" 
when  the  desire  of  labouring  and 
suffering  for  Christ  still  possessed  the 
hearts  of  a  large  proportion  of  its 
members;  and  yet,  when  in  comparison 
of  what  it  had  been,  during  the  first 
trying,  but  blessed  years  of  that  church's 
history,  rapid  indeed  had  been  the 
decHne,  and  wide  the  separation  from 
the  first  strong  feelings  of  love,  that 
burned  in  the  hearts  of  the  early  con- 
verts, when  they  "  w^ere  together,  and 
had  all  things  common,"  and  "did  eat 
their    meat   with    gladness   and    single- 


44  LECTURE  II. 

iiess  of  heart,  praising  God  and  hav- 
ing favour  with  all  the  people."* 

These  are  the  words  of  the  epistle  : 
"  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labour, 
and  thy  patience,  and  how  thou  canst 
not  bear  them  which  are  evil ;  and 
thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they 
are  apostles  and  are  not,  and  hast 
found  them  liars :  and  hast  borne  and 
hast  patience,  and  for  my  name's  sake 
hast  laboured,  and  hast  not  fainted. 
Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against 
thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first 
love."t 

Such,  then,  was  the  character  of  the 
Church  of  Ephesus,  and  such  was  also 
a  general  portraiture  of  the  Church  of 
the  Redeemer  in  the  age  when  the 
epistle  was  dictated  by  our  Lord. 

If  any  are  incredulous,  that,  at  this 
early  period,  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church,  while  he  saw  so  much  to 
commend,  should    also   see   so  much    to 

*  Acts  ii.  46,  47.  t  Revelation  ii.  2 — 4. 


LECTURE  II.  45 

blame  in  the  conduct  of  his  children; 
we  have  only  to  refer  them  to  the 
epistles  of  St.  Paul,  and  they  will  find 
that  far  stronger  expressions  are  there 
employed  in  speaking  of  the  conduct 
of  many  to  whom  they  are  addressed, 
than  are  made  use  of  here ;  and  that 
the  happy  period,  when  Christians  loved 
as  the  brethren  of  a  single  family,  and 
lived  around  a  common  table,  must 
indeed  have  been  most  lamentably  brief; 
since  scarcely  an  epistle  can  be  named, 
in  which  contributions  for  their  poorer 
members  are  not  urged  upan  the 
churches,  as  if  entreaty  was  necessary 
to  its  fulfilment,  and  in  which  the  re- 
puted divisions  among  them  are  not 
spoken  of,  as  if  too  probable  to  be 
doubted.  But  there  is  so  much  of 
personal  application  in  this  epistle,  that 
we  shall  not  dwell  upon  the  propheti- 
cal or  typical  view  of  it,  but  proceed 
at  once  to  those  important  practical 
lessons   with   which   it   is   replete.     '*  I 


46  LECTURE  II. 

know  thy  works,  and  thy  labour,  and 
thy  patience,  and  how  thou  canst  not 
bear  them  which  are  evil."  We  need  not 
remind  you,  that  this  intimate  know- 
ledge which  our  Lord  possessed  of  the 
church  to  which  He  then  was  writing. 
He  possesses  at  this  moment  of  every 
one  of  us.  Many  among  you,  brethren, 
are,  no  doubt,  more  than  merely  no- 
minal followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  you  have  been  taught  by  His 
Spirit ;  you  are  depending  simply  upon 
His  atonement;  you  are  endeavouring, 
by  His  grace,  to  express  your  grati- 
tude and  your  obedience  by  a  heart 
devoted  to  His  will,  and  a  life,  in  some 
degree  at  least,  we  trust,  dedicated  to 
His  service.  How  encouraging,  then, 
is  the  reflection  that  not  one  advanc- 
ing effort  which  you  have  ever  made 
in  the  way  of  holiness,  not  a  sinful 
gratification  which  you  have  foregone, 
not  an  evil  habit,  or  person,  or  thing, 
from   which  you  have   separated,   or   a 


LECTURE  II.  47 

labour  of  love  which  you  have  per- 
formed for  his  name's  sake,  of  which 
He  does  not  as  distinctly  say  to  you,  as 
He  here  said  to  the  Church  of  Ephesus, 
I  know  it,  and  know  it  with  approbation, 
(for  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  phrase 
as  it  occurs  in  the  Scripture  before  us) 
••  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labour, 
and  thy  patience."  Your  gracious  Re- 
deemer knows  them,  indeed,  as  they 
really  are,  tainted  with  sin,  full  of  im- 
perfection which  no  one  will  more 
readily  acknowledge  than  yourselves ;  but 
then  he  knows  them  also,  as  the  sin- 
cere though  feeble  efforts  of  a  child, 
anxious  to  manifest  his  love,  and  gra- 
titude, and  obedience,  to  an  indulgent 
father;  and  that  Saviour  even  now 
delights  in  every  such  work  of  charity 
or  kindness,  or  ministering  for  Him,  as 
He  once  did  in  the  offering  of  that 
poor  woman  in  Bethany,  which  worth- 
less as  it  was,  rejoiced  his  heart,  and 
received     His    commendation,    because 


48  LECTURE  II. 

having   been   forgiven   much,  she   loved 
much,  and  had  "  done  what  she  could." 
But   there   is   encouragement   in   this 
message  for  more  than  you  who  are  en- 
abled to  work  and  to  labour  for  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.     Every  class,  almost  every 
individual   among   His  people,  may  find 
a  word  of  counsel  and  of  comfort  here. 
Are   the    sins  of   an   ungodly   world    a 
trial    and    a   grief  to  you  ?  and   though 
you   may  not  be  able  with  truth  to  ex- 
press  yourself   in    the   strong   language 
of  David,  "  Rivers  of  water  run   down 
mine   eyes,   because   they  keep   not  thy 
law,"*   yet   do  you   mourn   over   iniqui- 
ties   which     you    cannot    prevent,    and 
which  deeply  wound  your  soul,  because 
they  wound  your  Saviour  ?  this  also,  then, 
he   knows   with    approbation,   "  I    know 
how   thou   canst   not   bear  them   which 
are  evil."     It  is   a  most  satisfactory  and 
distinctive  mark  of  our  union    with  the 
Lord  Jesus,  when   we  can  truly  affirm, 

*  Psalm  cxix.  136. 


LECTURE  II.  4B 

"  every  enemy  of  my  Lord  is  beheld  as 
an  enemy  by  me ;  every  arrow  that 
is  aimed  at  my  Redeemer,  pierces 
through  my  own  soul  also,  and  fills 
it  with  many  sorrows."  But  can  you, 
on  the  other  hand,  behold  the  careless 
Sabbath-breaker,  can  you  hear  the  oath 
of  the  profane,  can  you  see  the  pro- 
fligacy which  fills  ojr  streets,  can  you 
read  of,  and  can  you  know  of,  the  thou- 
sands around  you  engaged  in  "  evil,  and 
only  evil,  and  that  continually,"  living 
to  themselves  and  to  the  world,  and 
forgetting  the  God  who  made,  and  the 
Saviour  who  redeemed  them  ;  and  can 
you  talk  lightly  of  their  sins,  and  be 
indifferent  to  their  fate,  and  take  as 
much  pleasure  in  their  society,  as  if 
they  were  the  obedient  followers  of 
God,  and  preparing  for  His  kingdom, 
and  living  to  His  glory  ?  Then,  bre- 
thren, we  are  bound  to  tell  you,  that 
you  want  one  distinctive  mark  at  least, 
which  is  never  wanting  in  the  true 
5 


60  LECTURE  II. 

people  of  God,  the  separation  from  them 
that  are  evil ;  your  "  spot  is  not  the  spot 
of  God's  children,"  for  He  says  of  them, 
"  I  know  thou  canst  not  bear  them  which 
are  evil."  How  careful  then  should  we 
be  in  the  choice  of  our  intimate  com- 
panions and  friends !  Does  God  say 
that  His  people  cannot  bear  the  com- 
pany of  the  ungodly ;  and  do  I  love, 
and  court,  and  associate  with  them 
from  choice !  Surely  there  must  be 
something  very  wrong  in  the  state  of 
my  heart,  or  I  could  not  so  differ 
from  my  Lord  and  His  believing  fol- 
lowers. If  society  were  constituted 
upon  Christian  principles,  it  would  not 
be  borne,  that  the  presence  of  the 
profane  swearer,  or  the  open  profligate, 
the  gambler,  or  the  adulterer,  should 
be  tolerated,  because  his  vices  are 
gilded  by  wealth,  or  dignified  by  rank  ; 
such  men  would  be  as  effectually  ba- 
nished, as  the  more  vulgar  sinners 
whom  the  laws  of  their  country  remove 


LECTURE  II.  51 

from    the    scene   of   their   depredations 
and  disgrace. 

Again,  in  the  epistle  before  us,  there 
is  a  word  for  you,  brethren — and  in 
what  assemblage  like  the  present  was 
it  ever  seen,  that  none  such  were  in- 
cluded— for  you  who  are  sufterers, 
whether  from  sickness,  or  sorrow,  or 
sin,  and  patient  sufferers  for  the  Lord's 
sake.  He  says  to  each  of  you,  "  I 
know  how  thou  hast  borne,"  i.  e.  suf- 
fered, "and  hast  patience,  and  for  my 
name's  sake,  hast  laboured  and  not 
fainted."*  Your  Lord  has  known  many 
a  secret  trial,  many  an  hour  of  sor- 
row and  affliction  through  which  you 
have  passed,  and  which  the  world  has 
never  known.  Your  Lord  has  seen 
your  domestic  difficulties,  your  per- 
sonal troubles,  your  moments  of  secret 
anguish,  perhaps  unrevealed  even  to 
your  dearest  friend ;  for  there  are  sor- 
rows  which   ought   not   and   cannot   be 

*  Revelation  ii.  3. 


52  LECTURE  II. 

communicated  but  to  God  alone;  and 
yet  you  have  not  fainted,  but  perse- 
vered, and  for  His  name's  sake  hast 
patience.  Of  all  these.  He  says,  in 
the  language  of  commendation,  "I 
know,"  them ;  I  know  your  every  prayer 
for  guidance,  your  every  effort  to 
bear  patiently  and  contentedly  what  I 
have  laid  upon  you,  and  to  profit  by 
the  visitation ;  to  "  hear  the  rod,  and 
Him  who  appointed  it ;"  your  every 
endeavour  against  evil  tempers  and 
evil  habits; — all  these  things,  which 
man  can  never  know,  are  known  and 
valued  by  me.  How  delightful  is  the 
reflection  to  the  child  of  God,  that 
we  have  to  do  with  one  who  judges, 
not  as  sinners  judge,  and  who  feels, 
not  as  even  the  kindest  and  the  holi- 
est friend  on  earth  can  .feel  towards 
our  patient  endurance,  our  shortcomings, 
or  our  slow  advancings,  but  who  looks 
even  at  the  most  feeble  of  his  chil- 
dren as  children  still ;   and  while  those 


LECTURE  II.  53 

around  may  blame  us  that  we  have 
borne  our  trials  no  better,  and  have 
advanced  no  farther  and  no  faster  on 
the  heavenward  road,  He,  that  mer- 
ciful Redeemer,  commends  us  that  we 
are  still  upon  the  road,  and  "  have  not 
fainted." 

The  great  office  of  the  Christian 
minister — and  the  most  blessed  and  de- 
lightful portion  of  our  duty  do  we  es- 
teem it — is  to  fulfil  the  command  of  our 
God  to  His  prophet  of  old,  "Comfort 
ye,  comfort  ye  my  people,  saith  your 
God ;  speak  ye  comfortably  to  Jerusa- 
lem, and  cry  unto  her,  that  her  war- 
fare is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity 
is  pardoned."*  But  while  our  Lord 
Himself,  in  the  epistle  before  us,  has 
given  us,  as  we  have  just  seen,  a  model 
for  the  method  in  which  we  should  thus 
speak  comfortably  to  those  who  need 
consolation,  He  gives  us  also  in  the 
verse  which  follows,  an  example  of  the 

*  Isaiah  xl.  1,  2. 

5* 


54  LECTURE  II. 

manner  in  which  he  blended,  and  in 
which  we  aUo  are  bound  to  blend,  the 
plainest  warnings  and  the  most  heart- 
searching  reproofs,  even  with  the  full- 
est displays  of  God's  tenderness  and 
love,  and  the  most  abundant  consolation. 
."Nevertheless,"  says  the  Great  Head 
of  the  Church,  "  I  have  somewhat  against 
thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first 
love."* 

If,  then,  even  in  this  apostolical  church- 
state,  the  Lord  had  a  quarrel  against 
His  people,  if  He  had  "somewhat  against" 
them^  has  He  nothing  against  us  ?  Nay, 
let  us  speak  plainly  ;  and  suffer  ye  the 
word  of  reproof,  as  well  as  of  encou- 
ragement and  consolation ;  for,  as  the 
apostle  said,  "  If  I  yet  pleased  man  I 
should  not  be  the  servant  of  Christ."t 

We  ask  you,  then,  has  He,  whom 
you  serve,  no  charge  to  prefer  against 
any  of  you,  who,  nevertheless,  may 
really  be  among  His  people,  of  a  simi- 

*  Revelation  ii.  4.  t  Galatians  i.  10. 


LECTURE  II.  55 

lar  nature  to  this  before  us,  that  you 
also  have  left  your  first  love  ?  Remem- 
ber for  a  moment,  if  you  have  been 
really  turned  to  God,  how  much  these 
subjects  once  engrossed  your  thoughts, 
hovi^  entirely  they  occupied  your  heart, 
when  first  by  God's  sovereign  grace, 
they  obtained  admittance.  Where,  then, 
is  now  that  strong  and  influential  feel- 
ing of  love  to  the  Redeemer  with 
which,  when  you  began  to  appreciate 
your  own  necessities  and  His  infinite 
mercy,  your  heart  was  filled  ?  Then 
every  thing  yielded  to  this  feeling ;  it 
was  the  first,  the  all-pervading,  almost 
the  only  feeling  which  filled  your 
heart,  and  directed  your  every  action. 
What  anxiety  was  there,  then,  for 
obtaining  spiritual  good  for  yourselves, 
or  for  imparting  it  to  others !  You 
would  rather  have  risked  the  world's 
laugh,  or  the  world's  reproof,  than  have 
remained  silent,  when  the  cause  of  your 
God  required  you  to  speak.     What  plea- 


56  LECTURE  II. 

sure  had  you  then  in  secret  communion 
with  your  Redeemer,  and  in  dweUing 
upon  the  revealed  and  written  word 
in  those  portions  of  your  time,  which 
you  could  snatch  from  the  busy  bustle 
of  earth,  and  consecrate  to  heaven ! 

How  is  this  now  ?  Is  the  gold  become 
dim  ?  Is  the  fine  gold  changed  ?  Is 
the  inward  spark  decaying  even  while 
the  flame  still  burns  fiercely  without  ? 
Then  these  are  signs  too  plain  to  be 
mistaken,  that  the  reproof  before  us 
belongs  to  some  among  ourselves ;  the 
Saviour  has  "  somewhat  against  thee, 
because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love." 
The  present  world  and  the  attractions 
of  its  business,  or  its  pleasures,  have 
been  too  strong  for  the  future  world 
and  the  attractions  of  the  cross :  day 
by  day,  step  by  step,  the  former  are 
gaining  upon,  and  displacing  the  latter  ; 
you  are  more  and  more  engrossed,  and 
interested  and  possessed  by  subjects 
or    occupations,   which   good    and    pro- 


LECTURE  II.  57 

fitable  as  they  are  in  their  place,  are 
still  of  the  earth,  earthy,  and  will  not 
bear  a  moment's  competition  with  the 
great  business  of  your  soul,  the  pre- 
paration for  eternity.  God  grant  that 
the  present  hour  may  arrest  their 
progress,  may  re-kmdle  the  dying  fire, 
may  re-establish  the  throne  of  the  Re- 
deemer within  your  bosom.  For  it  is 
this  love,  the  first  love  of  the  heart, 
which  is  the  best  and  choicest  offering 
you  can  bring  to  God  ;  it  is  this  alone 
which  gives  life  and  w^irmth  to  every 
other  grace,  and  puts  a  soul  into  all 
your  duties  upon  earth,  and  raises  you 
upon  angel  wings,  as  near  as  mortal 
foot  may  tread  to  the  threshold  of 
heaven.  It  was  beautifully  said  by  one 
of  old,  "  The  hawk,  while  she  is  quick 
to  take  her  prey,  is  set  upon  the  hand 
of  kings  and  nobles;  but  if  she  wax 
weak  and  die,  she  is  cast  off  to  the 
dunghill.  Even  so,  while  we  are  warm 
and   fervent   in   love  towards   God   and 


58  LECTURE  II. 

his  Christ,  we  are  carried  as  it  were 
on  God's  own  hand;  but  if  we  faint 
and  decay  in  love,  we  shall  be  cast 
lower  than  if  we  had  never  been  seen  so 
exalted."  Be  not  content,  unless  you 
are  thus  living,  as  it  were,  on  God's 
own  hand;  be  satis«fied  with  no  lower 
place  to  rest  upon ;  but  ever  as  you 
feel  sensible  of  your  downward  flight, 
be  still  endeavouring  to  soar  upward 
upon  the  wings  of  faithful,  persevering 
prayer,  until  you  have  regained  that 
safe  and  happy  eminence. 

Must  we  add  a  threatening  to  our 
reproof?  Then  let  it  be  in  the  words 
of  our  Lord  Himself;  "  Remember, 
therefore,  from  whence  thou  art  fallen, 
and  repent  and  do  the  first  works ;  or 
else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and 
will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his 
place,  except  thou  repent.'"^ 

Remember  whence  thou  art  fallen ; 
descend    into    your    own    heart ;    draw 

»  Revelation  ii.  5. 


LECTURE  II.  59 

aside  the  veil  of  self-love,  that  love 
which  strengthens  while  all  other  love 
decays ;  mark  out  honestly  and  can- 
didly, every  instance  in  which  it  is  not 
with  you  as  in  times  past ;  acknowledge 
every  deficiency  in  duty,  every  neglect 
of  prayer,  every  forgetfulness  of  God, 
every  secret  sin,  every  growing  symp- 
tom of  indifference  to  the  Lord  who 
bought  you  to  the  sense  of  His  abid- 
ing presence,  to  the  obedience  to  His 
commands;  and  as  that  Lord  himself 
says,  "  Repent  and  do  the  first  works." 
Need  we  tell  you  what  the  first  work 
of  each  convinced  sinner,  and  therefore 
of  each  convicted  backshder,  must  ever 
be?  Seek  again  the  cleansing  blood  of 
the  Saviour ;  bring  every  instance  of 
remembered  transgression,  or  imperfect 
duty,  at  once  to  Him,  and  leave  Him 
not  until  the  "  blood  of  sprinkling"  has 
spoken  pardon  for  your  sins  and  peace 
to  your  soul,  and  brought  you  once 
more   near   to   God.     Then   shall   your 


60  LECTURE  II. 

candlestick  never  be  removed  ;  the  light 
which  is  in  you  never  be  darkened ; 
but  remember,  that  nothing  short  of  this 
will  insure  the  blessing ;  for  our  Lord 
Himself  declares,  "I  will  come  unto 
thee,  and  remove  thy  candlestick,  except 
thou  repent." 

The  epistle  before  us  concludes,  as 
each  of  these  remarkable  epistles  does, 
with  a  peculiar  promise  or  blessing. 
"  To  him  that  overcometh,  will  I  give 
to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in 
the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God."* 

"  To  him  that  overcometh ;"  yes, 
great  and  glorious  as  are  the  rewards 
of  God  they  are  limited  to  those  who 
overcome.  But  then,  who  are  they  ? 
where  shall  we  find  those  privileged 
Christians  who  may  hope  that  the  title 
is  their  own  ?  Brethren,  the  word  of 
God  being  our  g  lide,  we  shall  have 
no  difficulty  in  this  investigation.  Let 
the  beloved  apostle  return  the  answer  ; 

•  Revelation  ii.  7. 


LECTURE  II.  61 

These  are  his  words  :  "  Whosoever  be- 
lieveth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  born 
of  God ;  and  whosoever  is  born  of  God 
overcometh  the  world."*  Have  you  rea- 
son to  beheve  that  you  have  been  born 
again  of  the  Spirit ;  that  you  are  made 
the  child  of  God  by  adoption  and  spi- 
ritual regeneration  ;  that  you  have  been 
renewed  in  the  spirit  of  your  mind,  cru- 
cifying the  world  with  its  affections  and 
lusts  ;  if  so,  be  of  good  cheer ;  the  pro- 
mise is  your  own ;  it  is  yours  to  enter, 
through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  into 
the  city,  and  to  partake  of  the  tree  of 
life  which  grows  there,  of  which,  if  a 
man  eat,  he  shall  live  for  ever. 

Well,  therefore,  does  your  Redeemer 
usher  in  this  great  and  glorious  promise 
by  saying,  "  He  that  hath  an  ear  let 
him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
Churches."!  Yes,  brethren,  hear,  as 
you  have  this  day  heard,  the  Spirit's 
consolations,  the    Spirit's  warnings,   but 

*  1  John  V.  1,  4.  t  Revelation  ii.  11. 

6 


62  LECTURE  II. 

above  all,  hear  the  Spirit's  promises. 
It  is  generally  in  proportion  as  you  are 
humbly  but  steadfastly  believing  these 
great  things  to  be  your  own,  purchased 
for  you,  pledged  to  you,  and  reserved 
in  heaven  for  you,  and  you  for  them, 
that  your  gratitude,  your  consistency, 
and  your  holiness,  will  increase  and 
abound.  When  the  aspect  of  this  world 
is  lowering,  or  its  events  disappointing, 
when  troubles  distress  you,  or  sin  and 
temptations  assail  and  harass  you,  dwell 
much,  dwell  confidently  on  the  blessed- 
ness of  those  who  overcome,  and  on  the 
full  assurance  of  hope  that  through 
grace  you  shall  be  among  that  happy 
number.  Nothing  so  cheers  and  elevates 
the  heart,  nothing  carries  it  so  entirely 
above  the  reach  of  this  world's  miseries, 
as  an  habitual  dwelling  upon  the  promised 
future,  as  your  own ;  the  inheritance,  of 
which  you  have  already  received  the 
earnest  in  the  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
and    of    which    all    shall    unquestionably 


LECTURE  II.  63 

soon  be  yours,  if  you  are  Christ's. 
It  is  this  behef  which  not  only  robs 
death  of  his  sting,  and  the  grave  of 
its  victory,  but  as  certainly  and  as  ef- 
fectually robs  the  world  of  the  largest 
share  of  its  attractions,  and  every  sta- 
tion in  life  of  the  most  dangerous  por- 
tion of  its  allurements  and  temptations  ; 
He  down,  therefore,  in  peace  upon  this 
persuasion,  that  now  living  near  to  God, 
now  rejoicing  to  run  the  way  of  His 
commandments,  the  day  is  not  far  dis- 
tant when  you  shall,  in  close  and  inti- 
mate communion  with  the  Redeemer, 
•'  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,"  and  live  for 
ever ;  and  with  the  redeemed  of  all 
nations,  and  kindred,  and  people,  and 
tongues,  repose  beneath  its  branches,  in 
the  "Paradise  of  God." 


EPISTLE    TO    SMYRNA 


LECTURE   III. 

Revelation  ii.  9. 

I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation,  and  poverty,  but  thou 
art  rich. 

The  subject  for  the  present  Lecture 
is  the  second  of  the  epistles  to  the 
Asiatic  Churches,  addressed  by  our 
Lord  to  the  Church  of  Smyrna. 

The  character  of  this  epistle  is,  al- 
though with  some  points  of  similarity,  still 
materially  different  from  the  preceding. 
In  that,  the  language  of  reproof  was 
equally  prominent  with  the  language  of 
commendation ;  in  this,  not  a  word  of 
reprehension  is  mingled  with  the  praise. 


68  LECTURE  III. 

In   the    epistle   to   Ephesus,   we    beheld 
the   portraiture  of  the   general  Church 
of  Christ    during   the    apostolical    age  ; 
terminating  with   the   life   of  St.  John. 
In  the  epistle  to  Smyrna,  we  are  pre- 
sented  with    a    view   of   the    primitive 
Church   from   the   time   that   the    open 
ministration  of  the  Spirit  passed  away, 
until   the   period   when   the   religion   of 
Christ  became  the  national  religion  of 
the   Roman  empire.      In   other   words, 
we  may  consider  the  Church  at  Smyrna 
to    have    been   a   type   of   the   general 
character    and    state   of   the   Christian 
Church    from    the   death   of    St.   John, 
until  the  reign  of  Constantino  the  Great. 
A   period    during   which    the   blood    of 
the   martyrs,   the   seed   of  the   Church, 
was  more   freely  sown  than  in  any  pe- 
riod of  similar  duration  in  that  Church's 
history ;  while,  our  enemies  themselves 
being    the  judges,   the   religion   of   the 
Redeemer   brought  forth   such  fruit,  of 
hoUness,   and   self-denial,   and    love,   as 


LECTURE  III.  69 

Utterly  astonished  its  opponents,  although 
it  did  not  restrain  their  cruelty,  or  con- 
vert their  hearts. 

This  will  fully  justify  the  language 
of  the  epistle,  which  after  opening  with 
a  preface,  peculiarly  appropriate  to  its 
contents,  is  entirely  occupied  with  the 
commendation  of  the  Church's  apparent 
poverty,  but  real  riches,  with  predictions 
of  its  sufferings,  and  encouragement  under 
its  trials ;  while  it  closes  with  a  most 
blessed  and  appropriate  promise. 

First,  as  regards  the  beautiful  pro- 
priety of  the  preface, — "  Unto  the  angel 
of  the  Church  in  Smyrna  write ;  These 
things  saith  the  first  and  the  last,  which 
was  dead,  and  is  alive."^  Consider,  that 
our  Lord  was  addressing  Himself  to  a 
Church,  whose  members  should  be  called 
to  pass  through  the  deepest  waters  of 
affliction,  and  to  suffer  unceasingly  be- 
neath the  iron  rod  of  their  persecutors ; 
to   hold   themselves   in   daily   readiness, 

*  Revelation  ii.  8. 


70  LECTURE  Iir. 

to  pour  out  their  blood  in  the  amphi- 
theatre, or  to  perish  at  the  stake. 
Could  He  have  presented  Himself  to 
them  in  a  character  which  would  more 
powerfully  tend  to  elevate  their  hope, 
to  brighten  their  faith,  and  to  nerve 
them  for  the  struggles  in  which  they 
were  shortly  to  bear  so  glorious,  but  so 
fearful  a  portion  ? 

I  who  speak  unto  thee,  says  the 
Saviour,  am  "  the  first  and  the  last," 
the  infinite,  the  eternal  One ;  and  there- 
fore well  able,  with  all  the  power  of 
Deity,  to  carry  thee  through  this  mortal 
strife,  and  make  thee  more  than  con- 
queror for  my  name's  sake.  But  I  am 
also  he,  "  which  was  dead,  and  is  alive  ;" 
I  have  therefore  been  myself  once  sub- 
ject to  the  same  sorrows  and  persecutions 
as  thine  own  ;  I  have  experienced  "  the 
cruel  mockings  and  scourgings"  which 
thou  shalt  sufl'er ;  I  have  groaned  be- 
neath the  tortures  of  the  body,  and  have 
bled    from    very    agony  of  soul.     Death 


LECTURE  III.  71 

itself,  the  last  great  consummation  of 
thy  trials,  is  not  unknown  to  me ;  I 
have  felt  its  damps  upon  my  brow,  and 
have  hung  a  lifeless  corpse  upon  the 
cross,  and  have  been  wrapped  in  the 
cerements  of  the  sepulchre,  for  I  "  was 
dead ;"  and  I  can  therefore  well  be 
touched  with  a  feeling  of  every  infir- 
mity and  pang  which  assails  the  dying; 
but  I  am  now  "  alive,"  to  assure  thee 
of  the  unchangeableness  of  my  protec- 
tion, and  my  ability  to  help  and  deliver. 
Take  courage,  therefore,  in  thy  coming 
trials  ;  though  thine  enemies  shall  prevail 
against  thee  even  unto  death,  though 
after  thy  death,  worms  shall  destroy  thy 
body,  yet  in  thy  flesh  thou  shalt  see  God ; 
for  thou  hast  to  do  with  One  who 
"  was  dead,"  to  purchase  thy  recon- 
ciliation to  God,  and  is  now  for  ever 
"  alive"  at  His  right  hand,  to  carry  thee 
through  every  trial  and  to  place  thee 
beside  His  throne. 

After  this  preface,  so  brief,  and  yet 


72  LECTURE  III. 

SO  consolatory,  so  replete  with  evidence 
of  our  Lord's  ability  and  inclination  to 
save,  the  epistle  thus  continues,  "  I 
know  thy  works,  and  tribulation,  and 
poverty,  but  thou  art  rich." 

No  doubt,  in  the  first  instance,  this 
declaration  was  peculiarly  applicable  to 
the  Church  at  Smyrna,  but  how  pre- 
cisely is  it  also  the  testimony  which  we 
should  have  expected  would  have  been 
borne  to  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer, 
in  general,  during  her  days  of  deepest 
anguish  !  From  the  time  that  miraculous 
influences  ceased,  until  the  time  that 
the  Christian  religion  became  the  state 
religion  of  the  Roman  world,  the  Church 
could  not  but  be  remarkable  for  her 
poverty  and  destitution  ;  "  as  poor,  yet 
making  many  rich  ;  as  having  nothing, 
and  yet  possessing  all  things."* 

To  name  with  reverence  the  name 
of  Christ,  was  in  those  days  sufficient 
to  subject  men  to  obloquy  and  contempt, 

*  2  Corinthians  vi.  10. 


LECTURE  III.  73 

from  which  there  was  no  escape.  They 
were  driven  from  lucrative  and  honour- 
able employments,  the  stamp  of  infamy 
was  indelibly  fixed  upon  them,  and  all 
reasonable  hope  of  this  world's  conso- 
lations utterly  denied  them.  In  those 
days,  brethren,  it  was  something  to  be 
a  Christian  !  There  were  few  formal 
followers ;  there  were  probably  no  indif- 
ferent professors  of  religion  then ;  no 
man  took  up  the  name  of  Christ,  who 
did  not  take  up  with  it  the  cross  of  Christ, 
and  deny  himself,  and  follow  Christ. 
No  man  accepted  of  the  opprobrious 
appellation  of  a  disciple  of  the  crucified 
Nazarene,  unless  he  was  fully  prepared 
to  carry  it  down  with  him  to  the  abodes 
of  poverty  and  degradation,  and  unless 
he  was  wilhng,  when  the  day  of  tribu- 
lation came,  to  assert  his  right  to  the 
title  before  kings  and  rulers,  at  the 
price  of  life  itself,  for  that  name's  sake. 
How  highly,  then,  must  this  brief, 
but  striking  commendation  of  the  Saviour, 
7 


74  LECTURE  III. 

have  been  valued  by  such  men,  and  at 
such  a  season ;  "  I  know^  thy  works,  and 
tribulation,  and  poverty,  but  thou  art 
rich."  Poor  in  this  world's  goods,  but 
rich  in  wealth,  more  valuable  than  ever 
flowed  into  the  treasury  of  Rome  ;  rich 
in  the  possession  of  a  true  and  living 
faith ;  rich  in  all  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit ; 
rich  in  every  work  of  holiness  and 
piety ;  and  rich  in  the  glorious  rever- 
sions of  eternity.  And  all  this  was 
known,  and  known  with  satisfaction  and 
commendation,  by  their  glorified  Re- 
deemer. 

My  poorer  brethren,  what  prevents 
the  same  fact  from  being  known  by  that 
Redeemer,  and  the  same  sentence  de- 
clared by  Him,  respecting  each  indivi- 
dual among  yourselves?  He  knows  the 
poverty  of  your  worldly  circumstances, 
He  knows  the  difficulty  with  which 
many  of  you,  after  the  utmost  efforts 
of  your  labour,  obtain  a  scanty  and  pre- 
carious  subsistence ;    but   does    He    at 


LECTURE  III.  75 

the  same  time  know  that  you  are 
"  seeking  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
His  righteousness,"^  the  renewed  heart, 
the  altered  hfe,  the  union  with  Himself  ? 
that  you  are  bearing  all  outward  cir- 
cumstances with  a  cheerfulness  and  con- 
tentment which  flow  from  faith  within  ; 
desirous,  above  all  other  things,  of  a 
more  realising  communion  with  God, 
a  more  holy  and  consistent  obedience 
to  Him,  and  a  more  abundant  entrance 
into  His  everlasting  kingdom?  If  so, 
be  at  peace,  you  are  not  poor;  you 
are  not  the  objects  of  compassion ;  nay 
rather,  are  you  not  the  objects  almost 
of  envy,  if  such  were  possible,  to  the 
angels  of  heaven  ?  For  when  they  look 
upon  your  names  as  written  in  the 
Lamb's  book  of  life,  and  when  they 
ask,  as  he  in  the  Apocalypse,  "  And 
what  are  these  ?"t  they  hear  the 
gracious  commendation,  Yes,  these  are 

*  Matthew  vi.  33.  t  Revelation  vii.  13. 


76  LECTURE  III. 

poor,  "I  know  their   poverty,  but  they 
are  rich." 

Brethren,  the  manner  in  which  we 
estimate  poverty  and  riches,  differs  most 
widely  from  the  manner  in  which  that 
estimate  is  made,  in  the  eternal  mansions. 

The  only  poor,  in  the  sight  of  God. 
are  they,  whatever  be  their  station  here, 
whose  poverty  is  a  spiritual  poverty ; 
whose  souls  are  empty  of  the  grace 
of  God ;  whose  hearts  are  destitute, 
utterly  destitute  of  the  love  of  Christ ; 
whose  lives  are  barren  in  those  works 
of  holiness,  and  self-denial,  and  charity, 
without  which  the  richest  professor  of 
Christianity  stands  as  poorer  in  the  sight 
of  the  Eternal,  than  the  most  destitute 
object  in  creation.  Tried  by  this  rule, 
weighed  in  this  balance,  how  many 
would  be  found  wanting?  How  many 
upon  whom  at  this  very  moment,  while 
men  are  envying  their  wealth,  and  flat- 
tering them  for  their  riches,  the  great 
God,  who  sees  the  heart,  is  pronouncing 


LECTURE  III.  77 

precisely  the  reverse  of  the  sentence  of 
the  text,  I  know  thy  wealth,  but  thou 
art  really  poor,  poor  in  faith,  poor  in 
hope,  poor  in  love,  poor  in  holiness, 
poor  in  every  thing,  which  the  hand  of 
death  will  not  shortly  wring  from  thy 
grasp,  and  scatter  to  the  winds. 

We  all  feel  for  the  houseless  and 
destitute;  the  poor,  in  this  world's 
goods ;  and  it  is  well  we  should  so  feel. 
But  have  we  not  still  greater  cause  to 
pity  those  who  are,  far  more  empha- 
tically, the  really  houseless  and  destitute, 
who  have  no  mansion  preparing  for  them 
in  our  Father's  house  ;  no  clothing  which 
on  the  great  day  shall  avail  to  cover 
their  unrighteousness ;  no  interest  in 
Him,  who  is  our  Hfe,  our  all !  Espe- 
cially, shall  we  not  commiserate  the  poor 
rich?  Surely  they  ought  to  be  among 
the  first  and  chiefest  objects  of  our 
compassion.  The  poor  rich !  the  men 
whose  treasury  is  overflowing,  but  whose 
hearts  are  empty !  whose  tables  are 
7* 


78  LECTURE  III. 

covered  with  every  luxury,  but  whose 
souls  are  starving  !  The  men  who  are  daily 
saying  to  themselves,  "  Soul,  thou  hast 
much  goods  laid  up  for  many  years, 
take  thine  ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be 
merry,"*  and  who  yet,  when  the  signal 
for  departure  comes,  when  the  Bride- 
groom's cry  is  heard,  will  be  found  more 
utterly  impoverished,  more  entirely  des- 
titute, than  ever  were  the  foolish  virgins 
when  hopelessly  appealing  to  their  wiser 
sisters,  "  Give  us  of  your  oil,  for  our 
lamps  are  gone  out."  If  we  at  this 
moment  address  any  such,  most  ear- 
nestly would  we  urge  them  to  look 
forward  in  imagination  to  the  hour, 
which  "  will  try  every  man's  work,"  and 
every  man's  wealth,  "  of  what  sort  it  is." 
Have  you  reason  to  believe  that  yours 
will  stand  the  test?  that  this  world's 
wealth  and  this  world's  riches  will  profit 
you  upon  a  dying  bed  ?  Then,  in- 
deed,   we    have    nothing    to   say ;     you 

*  Luke  xii.  19. 


LECTURE  III.  79 

cannot  possibly  do  better  than  to  live 
to  both  worlds,  and  enjoy  both  worlds ; 
but  if  they  will  not — if  an  exclu- 
sive attachment  to  the  things  of  time 
is  destructive  of  our  preparation  for 
eternity — if  "  the  friendship  of  the  w  orld 
is  enmity  with  God" — if  the  devotion 
of  the  heart  to  its  interests,  its  luxuries, 
and  its  pleasures  is  treason  and  in- 
gratitude to  God — if  the  wealth  on  which 
your  soul  is  chiefly  fixed,  is  not  the 
wealth  that  can  outlive  time,  and  profit 
you  in  eternity — and  if  the  riches  to 
which  you  look  are  not  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ — then  are  you  poor 
indeed ;  then  are  you  taking  "  in  ex- 
change for  your  soul,"*  that  of  which 
a  week,  a  day,  an  hour,  may  dispos- 
sess you.  You  may  be  conscious  of 
no  such  .  bargain,  you  may,  and  pro- 
bably will,  revolt  at  the  very  idea  of 
such  an  exchange,  but  it  is  our  Lord's 
own  expression,  and  unquestionably 
true ;    "  for   what   shall   a  man  give    in 

*  Matthew  xvi.  26. 


80  LECTURE  III. 

exchange  for  his  soul  ?"  And  when  the 
summons  comes,  "  this  night  thy  soul 
shall  be  required  of  thee,"  you  will  be 
convinced  of  it,  in  a  manner  and  with  an 
emphasis,  which  no  living  tongue,  on  this 
side  eternity,  can  venture  to  portray. 

The  epistle  before  us  thus  continues  : 
"I  know  the  blasphemy  of  them  which 
say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are 
the  synagogue  of  Satan.  Fear  none  of 
those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer ; 
behold  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of 
you  into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried ; 
and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days."* 
In  these  words  there  are  two  distinct 
declarations,  that  the  great  accuser  of 
the  brethren  should  be  extremely  active 
in  his  trials  and  persecutions  of  the 
followers  of  our  Lord  ;  and  then,  as  a 
close  to  all  their  troubles,  that  they 
should  suffer  one  great  tribulation  for 
•'  ten  days,"  which,  in  prophetical  lan- 
guage, signifies  ten  years. 

*  Revelation  ii.  9,  10. 


LECTURE  III.  81 

Now  it  is  remarkable,  that  while  we 
have  no  account  of  the  Church  of  Smyrna 
suffering  under  any  persecution  of  such 
duration,  the  readers  of  church  history 
will  be  aware  that  nothing  could  more 
accurately  describe  the  state  of  the 
primitive  Church  in  general,  during  the 
period  of  which  we  have  considered  the 
Church  of  Smyrna  to  be  a  type,  than 
this  prophecy.  For  after  Satan  had, 
during  ten  different  persecutions  of  the 
infant  Church  in  different  parts  of  the 
Roman  empire,  which  are  enumerated 
by  historians,  manifested  the  extremity 
of  his  hostility  and  rancour,  he  closed 
the  whole,  by  the  great  and  sweeping 
persecution  in  the  reign  of  Dioclesian, 
at  the  close  of  the  third,  and  beginning 
of  the  fourth  century,  which  persecution 
is  stated  to  have  existed,  with  more  or 
less  intensity,  during  ten  years. 

Deeply  interesting  would  it  be,  if 
the  nature  of  these  discourses  admitted 
of  it,  to  give  some  details  of  the  manner 


82  LECTURE  III. 

in  which  this  declaration  of  our  Lord 
was  fulfilled ;  of  the  appalling  efforts  of 
the  Powers  of  darkness  to  overwhelm  the 
mfant  Church,  and  of  the  divine  aid 
which  enabled  the  holy  army  of  martyrs 
to  persevere  even  unto  the  death,  "  not 
accepting  deliverance,  that  they  might 
obtain  a  better  resurrection."*  Obviously 
impossible  as  it  is,  to  do  this  at  any 
length,  we  cannot  refrain  from  selecting 
one  of  the  many  astonishing  instances, 
exhibited  at  this  period,  of  the  influence  of 
divine  grace  in  enabling  these  Christian 
heroes  to  triumph  over  the  last  enemy, 
as  evidenced  in  the  closing  scene  of 
the  martyr  Polycarp,  one  of  the  noblest, 
as  well  as  earliest,  victims  who  adorned 
that  period  of  the  Church's  history  of 
which  we  speak ;  this  holy  man,  who  in 
pursuance  of  our  Lord's  direction,  "  when 
they  persecute  you  in  one  city,  flee  unto 
another,"!  had  avoided  the  extremity  of 
persecution,  until  he  found  that  he  could 

•  Hebrews  xi.  35.  t  Matthew  x.  23. 


LECTURE  III.  83 

no  longer  be   concealed,  without  injury 
to  his  friends,  and  to  the  cause  of  his 
Redeemer,  upon  being  told  that  his  ene- 
mies were  in  the  house,  but  that  there 
was  still  time  and  opportunity  to  escape, 
refused,  saying,  "  The  will  of  the  Lord 
be  done."      After  they  who  were   sent 
to  apprehend  him  had  arrested  him,  he 
requested   one    hour   for   prayer,    which 
being  granted,  he  "  prayed  standing  in 
the  presence  of  his  enemies ;"  and,  says 
the    narrator,   himself    an    eye-witness, 
"  so  full  was  he  of  the  grace  of  God, 
that   he    could   not   cease   speaking   for 
two  hours,  during  which  time  he  made 
earnest   petitions  for  all  whom  he   had 
ever  known,  small  and  great,  noble  and 
vulgar,   and    of   the   whole    Church    of 
Christ     throughout     the   world."     Upon 
being   brought   before  the   tribunal,  the 
Proconsul   respecting  his  dignities, — for 
he  was  a  Bishop  of  the  Church, — and 
his  advanced  age — for  he  was  more  than 
eighty, — and  desirous  to  save  him,  urged 


84  LECTURE  III. 

him,  saying,  "  Swear,  and  I  will  release 
thee:  reproach  Christ."  Polycarp  an- 
swered, "Eighty  and  six  years  have  I 
served  Him,  and  he  hath  never  wronged 
me,  and  how  can  I  blaspheme  my  King 
who  hath  saved  me  ?"  The  Procon- 
sul, judging  his  efforts  unavailing,  sent 
the  herald  to  proclaim  in  the  midst  of 
the  assembly,  "  Polycarp  hath  professed 
himself  a  Christian."  At  that  hated 
name  the  multitude,  both  of  Gentiles 
and  Jews,  unanimously  shouted  that 
he  should  be  burnt  alive.  "  The  busi- 
ness," continues  the  narrator,  "  was 
executed  with  all  possible  speed,  for  the 
people  immediately  gathered  fuel  from 
the  workshops  and  baths,  in  which  em- 
ployment the  Jews  distinguished  them- 
selves with  their  usual  malice."  A  re- 
markable fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  be- 
fore us,  that  those  who  said  ''  They 
were  Jews  and  were  not,"  "  all  were 
not  Israel  who  were  of  Israel,"  should, 
as  "  the  synagogue  of  Satan,"  take  an 


LECTURE  III.  85 

active  part  in  the  persecutions  of  the 
Christian  Church  during  this  period. 
•'  As  soon  as  the  fire  was  prepared,  Poly- 
carp  stripped  off  his  clothes  and  loosed 
his  girdle  ;  but  when  they  were  about 
to  fasten  him  to  the  stake,  he  said, 
Let  me  remain  as  I  am,  for  He  who 
giveth  me  strength  to  sustain  the  fire, 
will  enable  me  also,  without  your  se- 
curing me  with  nails,  to  remain  un- 
moved in  the  fire ;"  upon  which  they 
bound  him,  without  nailing  him ;  and  he, 
putting  his  hands  behind  him,  and  be- 
ing bound  as  a  distinguished  ram  se- 
lected from  the  great  flock,  a  burnt 
offering  acceptable  to  God  Almighty, 
said,  "O,  Father  of  thy  beloved  and 
blessed  Son  Jesus  Christ,  through  whom 
we  have  attained  the  knowledge  of  Thee  ; 
O  God  of  angels,  principalities,  and  ot 
all  creation,  and  of  all  the  just  who 
live  in  Thy  sight,  I  bless  Thee  that  Thou 
hast  counted  me  worthy  of  this  day. 
and  of  this  hour,  to  receive  my  por- 
8 


86  LECTURE  III. 

tion  in  the  number  of  the  martyrs  in 
the  cup  of  Christ,  for  the  resurrection 
to  eternal  Hfe,  both  of  soul  and  body  ; 
among  whom  may  I  be  presented  be- 
fore Thee  this  day  as  a  sacrifice  well 
savoured  and  acceptable,  which  Thou, 
the  faithful  and  true  God,  hast  pre- 
pared, promised  beforehand,  and  fulfilled 
accordingly.  Wherefore,  I  praise  Thee 
for  all  these  things ;  I  bless  Thee,  I 
glorify  Thee  by  the  eternal  High  Priest, 
Jesus  Christ,  Thy  well  beloved  Son, 
through  whom,  with  Him  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  be  glory  to  Thee  both  now 
and  for  ever."  The  narrator  of  this 
deeply  interesting  history  was  Irenaeus, 
the  intimate  friend  and  disciple  of 
Polycarp,  and,  as  we  have  mentioned, 
an  eye-witness  of  the  scene  which  he 
describes.  He  thus  concludes  the  letter 
which  contains  the  foregoing  account: 
"He,  Polycarp,  was  apprehended  by 
Herod,  under  Philip,  the  Trallian  Pon- 
tifex.  Statins  (Juadratus  being  Proconsul, 


LECTURE  III.  87 

— but  Jesus  Christ  reigning  for  ever,  to 
whom    be    glory,    honour,    majesty,    an 
eternal  throne  from  age  to  age."*     How 
striking  an  allusion   to  those  very  cha- 
racteristics of  our  Lord  with  which  He 
ushered   in    the    epistle   we   have    been 
considering.  His  eternity  and  power,  "  the 
first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead  and  is 
alive"  for  evermore.     When  we  consider 
that  the  writer  of  this  account  of  the 
martyrdom  of  Poly  carp  had  been  depri- 
ved of  his  best  earthly  counsellor,  teacher, 
and  friend,  how  natural  was  the  reference 
which  his  mind  thus  made,  from  things 
temporal    to    things    eternal,   from    the 
beings  of  a  day,  to  Him  that  inhabiteth 
eternity.     He   had   seen    Polycarp,   the 
great  and  good,  expire  in  agony  at  the 
command  of  his  persecutors.     Herod  was 
his   enemy,  Philip  was   his  enemy,  the 
Proconsul    was    his    enemy;    but    they 
were    all    changing,    transitory    beings, 
like    himself;    a   few   short   years,   and 
their  "  little  brief  authority"  would  have 

*  Abridged  from  Milner's  "  Church  History." 


88  LECTURE  III. 

gone  down  with  them  into  the  grave  ; 
a  few  short  years,  and  the  throne  of  the 
Proconsul  would  be  crumbled  into  dust. 
What  a  relief  must  it  have  been  to  the 
mind  of  this  behever  to  turn  from  his 
enemies  to  his  friend ;  from  Statins 
Quadratus,  the  ruler  of  a  day,  to  "  Jesus 
Christ,  reigning  for  ever,  an  eternal 
throne  from  age  to  age." 

Brethren,  may  his  consolation  be  our 
own,  that  our  life,  and  heart,  and  hopes, 
are  in  the  hands  of  One  who  knows 
no  change,  and  who  is  the  "dwelling- 
place"  of  His  people,  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting ;  "  Jesus  Christ,  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever."* 

The  epistle  concludes  with  this  most 
blessed  promise  ;  "  Be  thou  faithful  unto 
death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life.  He  that  overcometh  shall  not 
be  hurt  of  the  second  death."t  What 
that  death  is,  we  are  most  plainly  told 
in   the  20th  chapter  of  the  book  from 

*  Hebrews  xiii.  8.  t  Revelation  ii.  10,  11. 


LECTURE  III.  89 

which  the  text  is  taken,  where  we  read, 
"  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the  second 
death."  It  is,  indeed,  the  death  of 
deaths  ;  the  eternal  condemnation  of  the 
soul.  From  the  apprehension  of  this, 
every  true  servant  of  God  is  most  fully 
and  entirely  released.  Great  and  blessed 
privilege,  to  know  that  the  fires  of  eter- 
nity are  as  harmless  to  you  as  those 
of  Nebuchadnezzar's  furnace  were  to  the 
Jewish  youths  who  walked  uninjured 
amid  their  flames;  to  know  that  the 
undying  worm  shall  never  fix  his  fang 
upon  your  conscience,  but  that  for  ever 
and  for  ever  "  the  great  gulph,"*  the 
impassable  abyss,  shall  stand  between 
you  and  all  suffering — between  you  and 
all  sorrow — between  you  and  all  sin. 

There  is,  however,  yet  more  than 
this  exemption  from  evil,  in  the  pro- 
mise of  your  Lord,  "  Be  thou  faithful 
unto    death,    and    I   will    give    thee   a 

*  Luke  xvi.  26. 


90  LECTURE  III. 

crown  of  life."  Who  can  worthily  speak 
of  such  a  promise !  who  can  describe 
the  lustre  of  such  a  crown  !  Age  after 
age  shall  pass  away,  and  every  jewel 
in  that  crown  shall  be  as  bright,  even 
when  unnumbered  ages  have  gone  by, 
as  at  the  first  hour  when  the  hand  of 
your  Redeemer  shall  place  its  radiant 
circle  upon  your  brow.  For  that  "  crown 
of  life"  is  to  all  who  wear  it,  a  crown 
of  immortality  and  glory,  "  incorruptible, 
undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away.""* 

Brethren,  are  you  seriously  engaged 
in  the  conflict  of  which  this  is  the  re- 
ward? Are  you  faithfully,  persever- 
ingly,  earnestly,  running  the  race,  in 
which  this  is  the  prize  ?  Are  you 
wrestling  in  that  fearful  struggle  with 
our  spiritual  enemies,  the  event  of  which 
is  indeed,  wo  to  the  vanquished,  death, 
everlasting  death,  even  the  second  death, 
but  the  crown  of  life  to  him  that  over- 
cometh  ?     Remember   that  nothing  less 

»  1  Peter  i.  4. 


LECTURE  III.  91 

than  this  constant  conflict,  struggle,  race, 
can  obtain  the  prize.  All  else  is  trifling, 
folly,  madness ;  it  requires  the  whole 
man,  the  whole  heart ;  all  your  exer- 
tions, all  your  efforts,  all  your  prayers. 
And  not  for  a  day,  or  year,  but  for 
life,  for  your  whole  life,  without  ces- 
sation, without  intermission.  "  Be  thou 
faithful  unto  death,"  or  every  claim  to  the 
crown  of  Hfe  is  forfeited.  "  But  thanks 
be  to  God  who  giveth  us  the  victory, 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."*  Our 
fidelity  unto  death,  though  it  must  and 
will  require  our  every  effort,  labour,  and 
prayer,  is  not  the  fruit  of  any,  or  of 
all  these  exertions,  but  is  the  pledged 
and  purchased  gift  of  our  Redeemer, 
His  own  promise.  His  own  work.  His 
own  victory.  "  Therefore,  my  beloved 
brethren,  be  ye  steadfast,  unmoveable, 
always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know  that  your 
labour  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord."t 

*  1  Corinthians  xv.  57.  t  1  Corinthians  xv.  58, 


EPISTLE    TO    PERGAMOS. 


LECTURE    IV. 

Revelation  ii.  17. 

To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden 
manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone 
a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth,  saving  he 
that  receiveth  it. 

In  the  last  discourse  we  contemplated 
the  Church  of  Christ  during  one  of  the 
most  interesting  periods  that  it  has  ever 
known,  viz.  during  those  peculiarly  trying 
centuries  when  its  members  were  poor  in 
this  world's  advantages,  but  rich  unto  God ; 
"  I  know  thy  poverty,  but  thou  art  rich  ;"* 
when  they  were  called  to  endure  the  ten 

*  Revelation  ii.  9. 


^6  LECTURE  IV. 

days  of  tribulation  under  the  Pagan  per- 
secutors, but  were  "found  faithful  unto 
death,"  and  so  put  on  the  crown  of  life. 

This  state  of  apparent  depression,  but 
of  real  prosperity,  continued  until  the 
three  first  centuries  had  passed  away, 
and  the  religion  of  the  Redeemer  be- 
gan to  emerge  from  its  obscurity ;  to 
be  patronised  by  the  great  and  noble  ;  to 
reckon  princes  among  its  proselytes,  and 
Constantino,  the  Emperor  of  the  Roman 
world,  as  its  acknowledged  head. 

As  it  too  often  is  with  individuals,  so 
it  is  with  the  Church  at  large.  The 
warm  and  sunny  day  draws  out  the  adder. 
Christians  who  in  a  preceding  age  had 
been  able  to  rejoice  in  their  poverty  and 
tribulation,  and  even  to  be  thankful  that 
to  them  it  was  given  not  only  to  believe 
on  him,  but  also  to  suffer,  for  the  sake  of 
Christ,"^  now  became  anxious  only  for  this 
world's  wealth  and  its  advantages ;  so 
that,  instead  of  the  holy,  self-denying  lives 

*  See  Philipians  i.  29. 


LECTURE  IV.  97 

of  the  earlier  converts,  were  to  be  seen  the 
compromising,  sensual  habits  of  the  mere 
worldling,  in  the  garb  and  under  the  title 
of  the  followers  of  the  Crucified. 

It  is  of  this  church-state  that  we  believe 
the  Church  of  Pergamos  to  have  been  the 
type ;  at  least  we  may  assert  that  the  in- 
structions and  reproofs  addressed  in  the 
first  instance  to  her,  were  peculiarly 
appropriate  to  the  great  body  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  from  the  days  of  Constantine, 
until  the  period  when  the  Popes  first  be- 
gan to  assume  temporal  power,  and  by 
their  usurpations,  enormities,  and  tyranny, 
to  give,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  next 
epistle,  an  entirely  new  character  to  the 
Christian  world. 

In  our  last  discourse,  we  remarked  how 
peculiarly  appropriate  the  preface  was  to 
the  nature  of  the  instructions  and  warnings 
which  were  to  follow. 

Observe  the  same  beauty  of  propriety 
in  the  epistle  which  comes  before  us  this 
day. 

9 


98  LECTURE  IV. 

"  To  the  angel  of  the  Church  in  Perga- 
mos  write ;  these  things  saith  he  which  hath 
the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges."*  When 
our  Lord  was  about  to  use  only  the  lan- 
guage of  commendation  and  encourage- 
ment He  referred  only  to  those  of  His 
attributes  from  which  encouragement  and 
comfort  could  be  deduced,  His  eternity 
and  all-sufficiency.  In  the  present  epistle, 
so  full  of  reprehension,  He  describes  Him- 
self in  his  judicial  character,  as  bearing 
not  the  sword  in  vain,  equally  ready  to 
punish  as  to  defend;  to  destroy,  as  to 
save. 

The  epistle  thus  continues,  "  I  know 
thy  works  and  where  thou  dwellest, 
even  where  Satan's  seat  is."t  No  sooner 
had  imperial  Rome  become  Christian, 
than  from  its  great  temporal  power  and 
wealth,  which  although  upon  the  wane, 
were  still  considerable,  it  became  at 
once  the  head  of  the  Christian  world  ; 
and    therefore    might    be    termed    pre- 

*  Revelation  ii.  12.  t  Ibid.  ii.  13. 


LECTURE  IV.  99 

eminently  the  seat  of  Christianity.  To 
this  depraved  and  profligate  city  evi- 
dent allusion  is  made  in  the  verse  I 
have  just  read. 

It  was  there,  even  in  the  imperial 
city,  that  our  Lord  now  beheld  His  true 
Church  dwelling  in  the  very  centre  of 
iniquity  surrounded  by  those  who  were 
indeed  the  bondsmen  of  Satan,  some 
who  were  still  in  open  Paganism ; 
others  nominally  Christians,  but  without 
the  love  of  Christ  in  their  hearts ;  and 
many,  like  the  "  mixed  multitude,"  that 
accompanied  the  children  of  Israel  out 
of  Egypt,  who  had  given  in  their  ad- 
hesion to  the  new  religion,  and  were 
following  in  the  wake  of  the  court, 
hoping  to  derive  temporal  advantages 
from  their  agreement  with  those  who 
had  the  power  of  dispensing  them.  Yet, 
even  in  Rome  itself,  the  very  seat  of 
Satan,  there  were  some  who  might  in- 
deed be  called  "  the  sons  of  God  with- 
out rebuke,  in  the   midst  of  a  crooked 


100  LECTURE  IV. 

and  perverse  nation,  among  whom  they 
shone  as  lights  in  the  world,  holding 
forth  the  word  of  life,"  and  to  whom 
therefore  the  Saviour  could  say  in  the 
language  of  commendation,  "Thou  hold- 
est  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied 
my  faith  even  irt  those  days  wherein 
Antipas  was  my  faithful  martyr,  who 
was  slain  among  you  where  Satan  dwell- 
eth."  As  there  is  no  mention  of  any 
martyr  of  the  name  of  Antipas,  either 
in  the  Church  of  Pergamos,  or  during 
tha  t  church-state  of  which  Pergamos 
was  the  type,  it  seems  probable  that 
he  is  only  mentioned  as  a  general  ex- 
pression for  the  martyrs  and  confes- 
sors who  had  adorned  the  preceding 
church-state.  And  this  is  much  cor- 
roborated by  the  name  being  entirely 
omitted  in  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  ver- 
sions. Our  Lord's  declaration  was  there- 
fore in  effect  that  they  had  passed 
through  the  era  of  the  martyrs,  and  now 
in  the  time  of  outward  prosperity  whicli 


LECTURE  IV.  101 

had    succeeded,   the  true    Church,   the 
invisible  Church  of  the  Redeemer,  was 
as   firm,   as    faithful,    as    she    had    ever 
been ;  the   gates  of  hell   being   equally 
unable   to    prevail    against   her,   amidst 
the  allurements  of  prosperity,  as  amidst    ^ 
the  trials  and  severities  of  persecution,      p^     ^5^ 
It  is  well  to  mark  the  personal  lesson  _j  t^:^  C. 
which  all  may  gather,  either  of  reproof  ^f;^;  r~1 
or   encouragement,  from  such   a   decla-  ^'*  Jl',  /a" 
ration  as   this.     Are  there  none  among  p.^  O  c 
US,  who  justify  our    coldness  and  dead-  K  ^f^  h 
ness  in  the  things  of  God,  by  the  out- 
ward circumstances  in  which  we  are,  by  ^  ti 
Providence,  so  peculiarly  placed  ?    None,  ^  ^ 
the  language  of  whose  hearts  is  of  this  oJ 
nature  ?    "  It  is  comparatively  easy  for 
some   men   to   be  religious;  they  dwell 
in  a  religious  society,  their  friends  are 
religious,   their    early  habits    were   reli- 
gious, their  education  has  been  religious, 
every  thing  is  favourable  to  them ;  they 
have   little    to    distract    their    thoughts, 
to  alienate  their  hearts  from  these  high 
9* 


b^-    '-,;, 


102  LECTURE  IV. 

subjects ;  but  for  me,  occupied  as  I  am 
entirely  in  worldly  business,  dwelling 
among  those  who,  like  myself,  are  strug- 
gling to  get  forward  in  life,  how  can 
the  same  degree  of  self-devotion  and 
religious  observance  be  looked  for  at 
my  hands  ?"  Or  again,  "  standing  as  I  do 
in  a  higher  and  more  prominent  station 
than  many,  surrounded  by  all  the  attrac- 
tions of  wealth,  or  luxury,  or  rank,  it  is 
impossible.  God  cannot  and  will  not 
expect  the  same  from  all ;  He  must  make 
some  allowances  for  peculiar  positions 
in  society  and  peculiar  temptations,  and 
no  doubt  His  mercy  will  prevail  against 
His  justice  in  cases  such  as  mine  ?"  Bre- 
thren, we  beseech  you,  not  to  suffer 
yourselves  to  be  deluded  by  this  most 
common,  because  most  successful,  fallacy. 
Rank,  station,  business,  education,  wealth, 
poverty,  are  all  extraneous  and  adven- 
titious circumstances,  which  cannot  be 
taken  into  the  account  when  you  stand 
before   the    bar   of  God.     The   one   in- 


LECTURE  IV.  103 

quiry  then  will  be,  did  you  live  to  God, 
or  to  yourself?  to  the  w^orld  to  come  or  to 
the  world  around  you,  during  your  state  of 
probation  while  on  earth  ?  all  other  inqui- 
ries, all  reference  to  past  difficulties,  allow- 
ance for  past  peculiarities,  of  rank  and 
station,  all  will  be,  and  must  be,  excluded. 
There  is  no  respect  of  persons  with 
God  ;  He  judges  the  rich  and  the  poor, 
the  noble  and  the  peasant,  by  the  same 
laws.  The  only  distinction  known  to 
Him  is  that  to  which  He  Himself  has  laid 
down,  when  he  declared  by  the  mouth 
of  His  prophet,  that  He  would  "  discern 
between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  be- 
tween him  that  serveth  God,  and  him  that 
serveth  him  not."*  Had  it  been  other- 
wise, I  put  it  to  your  own  consideration, 
could  our  Lord  have  so  positively  de- 
clared, that  the  difficulties  of  the  rich 
man's  salvation  were  incalculably  in- 
creased by  his  riches  ?  for  is  it  not 
evident  that  if  proportionate  allowances 

*  Malachi  iii.  18. 


104  LECTURE  IV. 

accompanied  these  earthly  distinctions, 
it  would  be  impossible  to  show  that  the 
strait  gate  was  straiter,  or  the  narrow  way 
narrower,  or  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
more  difficult  of  entrance,  to  the  rich, 
than  to  the  poor  ? 

The  verse  before  us,  however,  is 
alone  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  no 
such  allowances  will  be  made,  because 
it  proves  that  none  such  can  fairly  be 
demanded.  It  is  vain  for  any  one  to 
declare,  the  worldliness  of  my  friends, 
the  vanity  of  my  family,  the  ungodliness 
of  my  neighbours,  the  thoughtlessness 
of  my  children,  or,  in  general,  my 
situation  in  society,  the  character  of  those 
among  whom  I  dwell,  and  not  my  own 
inclination  have  made  me  what  1  am. 
There  is  an  absurdity  on  the  very  face 
of  such  a  plea,  when  tendered  to  that 
Almighty  Being,  who  here  declared  that 
He  had  those  who  held  fast  His  name, 
and  never  denied  his  faith,  although 
they  dwelt  among  sinners  of  so  deep  a 


LECTURE  IV.  10r> 

dye,  that  our  Lord  does  not  scruple  to 
declare,  that  the  residence  of  the  true 
Church  of  the  Redeemer  was  at  that 
period  in  the  very  "  seat  of  Satan." 

No,  brethren,  if  we  would  really 
know  ourselves,  these  excuses  must 
be  put  aside,  these  disguises  stript  off, 
and  we  must  remember,  that  it  is  not 
what  we  might  have  been,  or  under 
other,  and  those  imaginary  circumstances, 
should  have  been,  that  God  considers  us. 
He  sees  us  simply  as  we  are,  and  in  the 
last  great  day,  according  to  that,  shall  we 
be  sentenced.  He  who  shall  come  to 
be  our  Judge,  well  knowing  that  the 
greatest  abundance  of  w^ealth  did  not 
keep  Abraham  back  from  following  God  ; 
that  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians 
did  not  encumber  Moses  in  running 
the  heavenly  race ;  that  even  an  earthly 
crown,  and  that,  a  most  anxious  and 
disturbed  one,  did  not  prevent  David 
from  striving  for,  and  obtaining,  a  crown 
of  immortality  and  glory  ;  how  can  He 


106  LECTURE  IV. 

then  reasonably  be  expected  in  any  other 
case,  to  make  allowances  in  favour  of  the 
allurements  of  wealth,  the  temptations  of 
intellect,  or  the  hindrances  of  rank,  sta- 
tion, or  employment  ? 

We  will  readily  acknowledge  that  our 
fellow-men  may,  and  ought,  to  make 
every  allowance  in  judging  of  us,  because 
although  they  know  their  own  tempta- 
tions, they  know  not  the  strength  and 
peculiarity  of  ours ;  but  we  must  expect 
nothing  like  this  from  God.  He  has  con- 
firmed both  His  promises  and  His  threat- 
enings,  and  has  established  the  one,  the 
only  way  to  the  Father,  through  the 
blood  of  Christ,  by  two  immutable  things. 
His  word  and  His  oath,  and  one  jot  or 
one  tittle  shall  never  pass  away  from 
these,  till  all  be  fulfilled.  If  we  seek 
God  through  Him  who  is  "  the  way,  the 
truth  and  the  life,"  with  a  holy  resolution 
to  walk  as  He  walked,  and  to  sacrifice 
every  sin  at  His  bidding,  we  shall  not 
seek   in   vain.     If  we   neglect   this,   we 


LECTURE  IV.  107 

may  rest  assured  that  business,  wealth, 
rank,  station,  poverty,  are  words  that, 
at  the  bar  of  God,  we  shall  be  unable 
to  utter  ;  and  are  excuses  which,  if  we 
even  had  the  audacity  to  plead,  God 
would  utterly  despise. 

But  while  there  is  warning,  there  is 
also  encouragement  in  the  fact  of  some 
of  Christ's  most  faithful  servants  dwelling 
in  Satan's  seat. 

It  is  a  peculiar  comfort  to  those  among 
you,  who,  though  placed  by  Providence 
amidst  the  overflowings  of  ungodliness, 
are  faithfully  and  sincerely  striving  to 
keep  yourselves  "  unspotted  from  the 
world.'"*  Let  the  fact  before  you  con- 
vince you  that  it  is  possible,  by  the  up- 
holding power  of  God's  free  Spirit,  even 
amidst  the  most  destructive  example, 
under  the  most  blighting  influence,  even 
where  the  prince  of  this  world  reigneth  ;  if 
such  a  situation  be  not  the  object  of  your 
choice,  but  the  effect  of  necessity,  to  "  hold 

*  James  i.  27. 


108  LECTURE  IV. 

fast  the  name  of  Christ,  and  not  to 
deny  his  faith."  But  then  the  path  of 
duty  must  be  clear  to  you ;  it  must  be 
plain  that  Providence,  and  not  avarice, 
that  necessity,  not  ambition,  has  fixed 
you  where  you  are.  For  it  will  in- 
variably be  found,  whenever  the  children 
of  God  place  themselves  unnecessarily  in 
temptation,  that  if  the  Spirit  of  God 
accompanies  them  at  all,  it  will  be  to 
make  their  expected  advantages,  as  He 
did  to  His  people  of  old,  "pricks  in 
their  eyes,  and  thorns  in  their  sides,  to  vex 
them  in  the  land  wherein  they  dwell."* 

We  continue  the  epistle,  that  we  may 
learn  the  manner  in  which  our  Lord  ad- 
dressed those  members  of  His  Church, 
who  were  already  deeply  injured  by  that 
familiarity  with  worldly  affluence  and  dis- 
tinction to  which  we  have  referred.  "  I 
have  a  few  things  against  thee,  because 
thou  hast  there,  them  that  hold  the 
doctrine  of  Balaam,  who   taught  Balak 

*  Numbers  xxxiii.  55. 


LECTURE  IV.  109 

to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacri- 
ficed unto  idols,  and  to  commit  forni- 
cation ;  so  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold 
the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which 
thing  I  hate."  The  first  charge  here 
brought  against  the  visible  Church  of  the 
Redeemer  is,  that  there  were  those  within 
its  pale,  who  imitated  the  sin  of  Balaam, 
viz :  casting  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way 
of  God's  people,  which  we  find  from 
the  31st  chapter  of  the  book  of  Numbers, 
was  the  peculiar  sin  of  that  unhappy 
man. 

This,  then,  was  the  conduct  which 
Christians  in  those  days  of  outward 
church  prosperity  were  beginning  to  imi- 
tate. We  know  not  that  a  greater,  or 
better,  test  can  be  offered,  of  the  spi- 
rituality of  a  church,  or  the  religion  of 
any  individual  member  of  it,  than  the 
feeling  with  which  we  view  those  points 
in  our  own  conduct,  which  may  be 
injurious  to  our  fellow-Christians,  which 
10 


110  LECTURE  IV. 

may  act  as  stumbling-blocks  in  the  path 
of  our  neighbours,  or  tend  to  prevent  the 
grow^th  of  religion  and  divine  grace  in  their 
hearts.  How  clearly,  and  how  instruc- 
tively has  St.  Paul  illustrated  the  nature 
of  this  peculiar  sin  in  the  8th  chapter  of 
the  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  He 
has  there  been  declaring  his  opinion  upon 
the  propriety  of  a  Christian  eating  meat, 
which  has  been  offered  in  sacrifice  unto 
idols,  apparently  a  point  of  great  difficulty 
to  the  tender  consciences  of  those  days. 
He  says  at  once,  that  in  reality,  "  an  idol 
is  nothing  in  the  world,'"^  i.  e.  nothing 
but  the  mere  stone  or  log  out  of  which 
it  is  carved,  and  therefore  that  the 
meat  which  has  been  offered  to  it  may 
be  eaten  with  perfect  impunity,  by  those 
whose  consciences  are  sufficiently  strong 
to  view  the  subject  in  this  light.  But 
then,  in  the  true  feeling  of  Christian 
charity  and  consideration  for  others, 
he  immediately  adds,  "  But  take  heed, 

*  1  Corinthians  viii.  4. 


LECTURE  IV.  Ill 

lest  by  any  means  this  liberty  of  yours 
become  a  stumbling-block  to  them  that 
are  weak.  For  if  any  man  see  thee 
which  hast  knowledge,  sit  at  meat  in  the 
idol's  temple,  shall  not  the  conscience  of 
him  which  is  weak  be  emboldened  to  eat 
those  things  which  are  offered  to  idols ; 
and  through  thy  knowledge  shall  the  weak 
brother  perish,  for  whom  Christ  died  ? 
But  when  ye  sin  so  against  the  brethren, 
and  wound  their  weak  conscience,  ye  sin 
against  Christ.  Wherefore,  if  meat  make 
my  brother  to  offend,  I  will  eat  no  flesh 
while  the  world  standeth,  lest  I  make 
my  brother  to  offend."* 

How  beautiful  an  instance  of  that  love 
for  the  souls  of  others,  which  invariably 
springs  from  a  due  sense  of  the  value  of 
our  own.  What  a  test  of  the  state  of 
true,  vital  Christianity  in  our  hearts. 
Now,  for  a  moment,  brethren,  let  us 
pause,  and  apply  this  test.  Did  you 
ever,  in   the  whole  course  of  your  life, 

*  1  Corinthians  viii.  9 — 13. 


112  LECTURE  IV. 

forego  one  apparent  advantage,  or  deny 
yourself  one  questionable  pleasure,  or 
abstain  from  any  doubtful  action,  from 
the  fear  that  a  contrary  course  would 
cast  a  stumbling-block  in  the  path  of 
some  weak  brother,  who,  from  a  morbid 
tenderness  of  conscience  fears  that  to 
be  evil,  which  you  in  your  stronger 
knowledge  believe  to  be  innocent  ?  How 
far  are  the  very  best  of  us,  if  we 
know  not  where  to  look  for  such  in- 
stances in  our  own  lives  and  conver- 
sation, how  very  far  from  the  religion 
of  the  Bible ;  how  widely  removed  in 
all  the  best  and  higher  feelings,  viz : 
those  of  forbearance  and  love,  from 
that  holy  and  self-denying  apostle,  who 
could  unhesitatingly  declare,  "  If  meat 
make  my  brother  to  offend,  I  will  eat 
no  flesh  while  the  world  standeth,  lest 
I  make  my  brother  to  offend." 

But  it  was  not  only  for  casting  stum- 
bling-blocks in  the  way  of  God's  people 
that  our  Lord  condemned  the  Church  to 


LECTURE  IV.  113 

which  this  epistle  is  addressed,  but  for 
a  sin,  prevalent  in  every  age,  and  perhaps 
seldom  more  prevalent  than  at  the  pre- 
sent time.  "  Thou  hast  them,"  says 
our  Lord,  "  that  hold  the  doctrine  of 
the  Nicolaitanes,  which  thing  I  hate." 
It  appears  that  the  Nicolaitanes  were 
the  Antinomians  of  those  days;  men 
who  held  the  truth  in  ungodliness,  the 
very  worst  and  most  dangerous  enemies 
which  the  rehgion  of  the  Redeemer  has 
ever  encountered ;  for  these  are  they 
who  wound  her  in  the  house  of  her 
friends. 

Perhaps  we  do  not  at  the  present 
moment  address  an  individual  who  would 
acknowledge  himself  deserving  of  the 
appellation ;  not  one  who  would  declare 
himself  an  Antinomian.  Yet,  brethren, 
we  fear  that  many  must  be  classed 
among  the  number,  who  would  not  rank 
themselves  there.  Every  one  is  really 
and  practically  an  Antinomian,  who,  pro- 
fessing a  true  and  scriptural  faith  in 
10* 


114  LECTURE  IV. 

the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  not  careful 
to  regulate  his  daily  conduct  by  that 
law  of  God,  which  has  ever  been,  and 
shall  ever  be,  the  true  believer's  rule 
of  life,  and  without  a  holy  and  con- 
sistent obedience  to  which,  the  most 
correct   faith    is    dead. 

Turn  we  now  to  the  glorious  promise, 
with  which  the  epistle  before  us  con- 
cludes, "  To  him  that  overcometh,"  or, 
as  it  may  fairly  be  rendered,  to  him 
that  is  overcoming,  "  will  I  give  to  eat 
of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him 
a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new 
name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth, 
saving  he  that  receiveth  it."  Mark 
first,  brethren,  among  these  wonderful 
provisions  for  the  conquering  Christian, 
the  "hidden  manna;"  probably  a  refer- 
ence to  that  portion  of  the  heavenly 
food  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness, 
which  was  commanded  by  God  to  be 
hidden  in  a  golden  vessel  in  the  Taber- 
nacle,   as    an    everlasting   memorial    of 


LECTURE  IV.  115 

God's  mercy,  and  as  a  very  striking 
type  of  that  Saviour,  who  declared,  ''  I 
am  the  living  bread  which  came  down 
from  heaven.""^  In  the  hidden  manna, 
then,  promised  by  our  Lord  as  the 
bread  of  life  for  the  support  and  nou- 
rishment of  His  conflicting  and  over- 
coming people,  we  discern  the  promise 
of  Himself,  even  that  crucified  Redeemer, 
who  said,  "Whoso  eateth  my  flesh  and 
drinketh  my  blood,  hath  eternal  life  ;  and 
I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day.  For 
my  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is 
drink  indeed."t  This  is  the  food,  with- 
out which,  in  the  very  midst  of  earthly 
abundance,  our  souls  will  languish  and 
die.  If  God's  word  be  true,  there  is 
none  other  from  which  we  can  draw  nou- 
rishment and  life ;  for  did  not  our  Lord 
Himself  declare,  "Except  ye  eat  the 
flesh  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  drink 
His  blood,  ye  have  no  life  in  you  ?" 
Upon  Him,  then,  we  must  learn  to  feed 

*  John  ?i.  51.  t  John  vi.  54,  55. 


116  LECTURE  IV. 

daily  and  hourly,  by  a  true  and  living 
faith, — upon  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
which  is  carried  up  to  the  mercy-seat  for 
pardon  and  peace, — upon  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  Redeemer,  for  our  everlasting 
acceptance  before  the  throne, — upon  His 
grace  and  strength,  for  support,  amidst 
dangerous  temptations,  difficult  duties,  and 
painful  dispensations.  Our  language  must 
be,  like  his  of  old,  "  In  the  Lord  have  I 
righteousness  and  strength  ;"  in  Him,  and 
in  Him  alone,  whom  the  world  neither 
sees  nor  knows,  have  I  the  "  hidden 
manna,"  "  the  bread  of  life." 

Again,  the  second  promise  of  the 
text  requires  our  attention.  "  To  him  that 
overcometh  will  I  give  a  white  stone."* 
It  is  generally  supposed  by  commentators 
that  this  refers  to  an  ancient  judicial 
custom  of  dropping  a  black  stone  into  an 
urn  when  it  was  intended  to  condemn, 
and   a   white   stone   when   the   prisoner 

*  ^wcpoy  \iUKai,  probably  the  tessera  hospitalis  of  the  Latins, 
and  the  a-v/u0o\6¥  ^trixov  of  the  Greeks. 


LECTURE  IV.  117 

was  acquitted.     But  this   is   an   act   so 
distinct  from  that  described  in  the  scrip- 
ture before  us,  "  I  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,"  that  we  are  disposed  to  agree  with 
those  who  think  it  refers  rather  to  a  custom 
of  a  very  different   kind,*'  and   not  un- 
known to  the  classical  reader,  according, 
with  beautiful  propriety,  to  the  circum- 
stances before   us.     In   primitive  times, 
when  travelhng  was  rendered  difficult  from 
the  want  of  places  of  public  entertainment, 
hospitality  was  exercised  by  private  indi- 
viduals to  a  very  great  extent,  of  which 
indeed   we   find    frequent   traces   in   all 
history,   and    in    none    more    than    the 
Old  Testament.     Persons  who  had  par- 
taken of  this  hospitality,  and  those  who 
practised  it,  frequently  contracted  habits 
of  friendship  and  regard  for  each  other  ; 
and  it  became   a  well  established  cus- 
tom, both  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
to  provide  their  guests  with  some  particu- 
lar mark,  which  was  handed  down  from 

*  See  Home's  Introduction. 


118  LECTURE  IV. 

father  to  son,  and  insured  hospitality  and 
kind  treatment  whenever  it  was  pre- 
sented. This  mark  was  usually  a  small 
stone  or  pebble  cut  in  half,  and  upon  the 
halves  of  which,  the  host  and  the  guest 
mutually  inscribed  their  names,  and  then 
interchanged  them  with  each  other.  The 
production  of  this  tessera  was  quite  suffi- 
cient to  insure  friendship  for  themselves  or 
their  descendants,  whenever  they  travelled 
again  in  the  same  direction ;  while  it 
is  evident  that  these  stones  required  to 
be  privately  kept,  and  the  name  written 
upon  them  carefully  concealed,  lest 
others  should  obtain  the  privileges,  in- 
stead of  the  person  for  whom  they 
were  intended.  How  natural,  then,  is 
the  allusion  to  this  custom  in  the  words 
of  the  text,  "  I  will  give  him  to  eat 
of  the  hidden  manna  ;"  and  having  done 
so,  having  made  him  partaker  of  my 
hospitality,  having  recognised  him  as  my 
guest,  my  friend,  "  I  will  present  him 
with  the  white  stone,  and  in   the  stone 


LECTURE  IV.  119 

a  new  name  written,  which  no  man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it." 
I  will  give  him  a  pledge  of  my  friend- 
ship, sacred  and  inviolable,  known  only 
to  himself.      ' 

Blessed  pledge  of  the  Christian ! 
Are  there  moments,  even  to  him  who  is 
overcoming,  when  his  soul  is  much  dis- 
couraged because  of  the  way  ;  when  he 
is  wearied  and  worn  in  the  journey  of 
life,  and  would  gladly  seek  for  food, 
and  shelter,  and  repose,  let  him  remember 
the  pledge  which  his  Lord  has  given  him  ; 
let  him  call  upon  Him,  who  has  already 
in  many  a  former  trial  nourished  and 
supported  him,  who  has  given  him  to 
eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  who  has  given 
him  to  drink  of  that  water  of  which 
they  who  drink  shall  never  thirst ;  let 
him  think  of  the  pledge  which  he  has 
received,  and  never  for  one  moment  be 
cast  down.  Would  a  mortal  man  like 
ourselves  have  been  ashamed  to  look 
upon  his  given  pledge,  and  not  to  have 


120  LECTURE  IV. 

treated  its  possessor  with  attention  and 
regard,  and  shall  the  God  of  all  the 
world  do  less  ?  No ;  be  assured  that 
He  will  not,  cannot  fail  you.  He  who 
has  succoured,  will  succour  ;  "  the  Lord 
has  provided,  the  Lord  will  provide ;" 
and  though  heaven  and  earth  fail,  no 
good  thing  shall  fail  of  all  that  He  has 
promised  and  secured  to  his  believing 
and  obeying  people. 

But  there  is  still  another  peculiarity, 
which  you  may  not  have  observed,  and 
which  seems  to  pervade  the  remark- 
able promise  before  us,  and  this  is,  its 
secrecy.  The  name  inscribed  upon  the 
stone  by  our  Lord  was,  as  we  are  dis- 
tinctly told,  to  be  known  only  to  him 
that  possessed  it — the  white  stone  could 
be  appreciated  only  by  him  whose  ne- 
cessities it  would  afford  the  means  of 
supplying — the  manna  was  hidden  from 
all,  but  those  who  fed  upon  it.  Surely, 
then,  some  lesson  is  to  be  taught  us 
by    so   remarkable    a   peculiarity.     We 


LECTURE  IV.  121 

believe  it  to  be  this,  that  true  religion 
is  not  the  noisy,  public  thing  which  too 
many  make  it,  but  that  the  life  of  the 
true  Christian  is  in  all  ages  to  be  a 
hidden  life ;  its  fruits  indeed  visible, 
by  holiness,  and  long  suffering,  and 
love,  and  every  Christian  grace,  but 
the  life  itself  veiled  in  the  transactions 
between  God  and  the  soul,  as  the 
apostle  to  the  Colossians  expresses  it, 
when  he  says,  "Your  life  is  hid  with 
Christ  in  God."* 

Would  you,  then,  know  whether  your 
Hfe  be  the  spiritual  life  of  God's  dear 
children  ?  Mark  whether  it  possesses 
this  essential  qualification.  Every  other 
symptom  of  religion  may  be  counter- 
feited by  the  mere  moralist,  or  the  hypo- 
crite, or  the  formalist ;  the  hidden  life 
of  the  Christian  never  can,  for  it  is 
known  only  to  him  that  possesses  it. 
Would  you  ascertain  whether  it  be  yours, 
take   this   simple   method  of   determin- 

*  Colossians  iii.  3. 
11 


122  LECTURE  IV. 

ing  it ;  subtract  from  life,  first,  all  the 
hours  spent  in  necessary  occupations, 
and  in  unnecessary  idleness ;  then, 
those  which,  as  on  this  hallowed  day,  you 
devote  very  properly  to  public  religious 
observances  ;  and  having  subtracted  these, 
observe  what  remains ; — see  how  much 
has  been  secretly  dedicated  to  God ; 
just  by  so  much,  is  yours  the  hidden 
life  of  the  Christian. 

How  many  in  this  assemblage  at  this 
moment  are  there  who  stand  self-con- 
demned ;  whose  consciences  have  al- 
ready whispered.  If  this  be  indeed  the 
stamp  of  vital  religion,  then  does  my 
religion  forfeit  all  claim  to  it.  When 
1  have  made  these  great  deductions, 
there  is  absolutely  nothing  left.  All  is 
swallowed  up  in  the  engagements  of 
time ;  nothing  has  been  reserved  for 
eternity.  All,  even  of  my  Christian 
duties,  are  spread  before  the  world ; 
nothing  hid  with  Christ  in  God !  Do 
you,  then,  never  in  the  privacy  of  your 


LECTURE  IV.  123 

chamber,  pour  out  your  heart  before  the 
throne  of  grace  ?  '  do  you  never  secretly 
feed  upon  the  hidden  manna,  as  con- 
veyed to  you  in  God's  revealed  word  ? 
never  dwell  with  delight,  and  thanks- 
giving, and  praise,  upon  that  pledge  of 
your  Saviour's  friendship,  the  gift  of 
His  holy  Spirit,  the  "  earnest  of  your 
future  inheritance  ?"*  never,  when  alone, 
think,  or  read,  or  meditate  upon  divine 
truth  ?  Then,  indeed,  we  greatly  fear 
that  you  have  to  question  whether  yours 
is  the  religion  of  the  heart,  the  Chris- 
tianity of  the  Bible,  the  offering  which 
God  will  not  despise. 

Lastly,  brethren,  one  word  of  en- 
couragement to  you,  who  find  upon 
self-examination,  that  these  features  of 
the  true  life  of  a  Christian  are,  at  least 
in  some  degree,  alas !  how  small  even 
in  the  best  of  men,  visible  in  your 
own.  Yours  is  now  a  hidden  life,  pos- 
sessing temptations  and  sorrows,  of  which 

*  Ephesians  i.  14. 


124  LECTURE  IV. 

none  partake,  as  well  as  joys  with  which 
a  stranger  intermeddleth  not.  The  hap- 
piest portion  of  your  day,  short  though 
it  be,  is  spent  in  secret  communion 
with  Him,  "  whom  not  having  seen,  you 
love,"*  and  known  only  to  Him  are 
those  blessed  sources  of  all  your  spi- 
ritual comfort  and  your  joy.  It  is  in- 
tended to  be  so  now ;  but  take  comfort 
from  the  reflection  that  this  will  not 
always  be  the  case.  The  day  is  not 
far  distant,  when  assembled  worlds  will 
behold  the  men  who  meditated  and 
prayed  in  secret,  who  were  content  to 
be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  the 
ofFscouring  of  all  things ;  but  then  will 
they  no  longer  be  the  "Lord's  hidden 
ones;"t  but  shining,  like  stars,  in  the 
kingdom  of  their  Father,  and  swelling 
the  ranks  of  those  glorified  spirits  who 
for  ever  shall  attest  the  triumphs  of 
the  Lamb.  Then  will  you,  who  are 
now   feeding   upon    the   hidden   manna, 

*  1  Peter  i.  8.  t  Psalm  Ixxxiii.  3. 


LECTURE  IV.  125 

feast  openly  with  your  Redeemer  upon 
the  tree  of  life.  Then  will  the  new 
name,  now  known  only  to  yourself,  be 
avowed  by  Him  who  gave  it,  when 
He  confesses  you  to  be,  as  He  has 
declared,  His  friend.  His  child.  His 
guest.  Then  will  the  pledge  of  His 
promised  hospitality  be  abundantly  and 
for  ever  redeemed,  when  the  everlast- 
ing doors  shall  be  lifted  up,  and  you 
shall  enter,  a  welcome  and  an  ho- 
noured inmate,  into  the  kingdom  and 
joy  of  your  Lord. 


11* 


EPISTLE    TO    THYATIRA. 


S.S.TEACUKP.'SLIBMM, 


LECTURE    V. 

Revelation  ii.  28. 

And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star. 

The  epistle  of  which  we  are  now  about 
to  treat,  is  addressed  to  the  Church  of 
Thyatira,  and  will  present  us  with  a 
view  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  differing 
most  widely  from  those  which  have 
preceded  it. 

We  have,  in  the  former  discourses, 
beheld  the  visible  Church  of  the  Re- 
deemer, as  portrayed  in  the  first  epistle, 
in  her  apostolical  purity;  in  the  second, 
in  her  faithfulness,  devotedness,  and 
poverty,  during  the  era  of  the  martyrs  ,• 


130  LECTURE  V. 

in  the  third,  as  suffering  from  the 
temptation  of  outward  prosperity,  when 
Christianity  had  become  the  dominant 
rehgion  of  the  Roman  world ;  but  in  the 
present  epistle  we  shall  see  her,  as  ex- 
posed to  greater  perils  than  had  ever 
yet  assailed  her,  arising  from  a  far 
more  dangerous  source,  even  from  the 
prevalency  of  internal  error  ;  and  from 
the  ruinous  effects  of  false  teaching  within 
herself 

The  preface  of  this  epistle  is  re- 
markable, as  in  the  preceding  cases,  for 
its  beautiful  appropriateness  to  the  lessons 
which  are  to  follow.  "  These  things  saith 
the  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his  eyes  Hke 
unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like 
fine  brass."* 

The  great  and  glorified  Head  of  the 
Church,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  about 
to  speak  of  the  errors  and  misconduct 
of  His  people,  and  he  therefore  reminds 
them   that  there   is  nothing  which   can 

*  Rpvelation  ii.  18. 


LECTURE  V.  131 

escape  His  eyes  of  fire  ;  "  all  things,"  as 
the  apostle  says, "  being  naked  and  opened 
unto  Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do." 
But  then  he  is  also  about  to  threaten 
destruction  to  the  followers  of  Jezebel, 
"  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death,"* 
and  therefore  He  reminds  them  of  His 
"  feet  of  brass,"  with  which  He  had 
already  trampled  upon  the  old  serpent, 
and  with  which  he  will  assuredly  tread 
down  every  enemy,  as  among  that  ser- 
pent's brood. 

We  proceed  to  the  substance  of  the 
epistle  itself;  but  before  we  do  so,  we 
would  call  your  attention  to  one  feature 
common  to  all  the  seven  epistles,  except 
the  last.  It  is  this,  that  however  grievous 
be  the  errors  of  the  particular  period  to 
which  our  Lord  refers ;  however  low  the 
spirituality  of  that  Church's  state  of  which 
He  speaks,  there  is  invariably  a  portion 
of  the  epistle  addressed  to  the  true 
believer  ;  to  the  real  people  of  God,  who 

*  Revelation  ii.  23. 


132  LECTURE  V. 

appear  to  have  escaped  the  prevailing 
errors,  or  sins  of  the  days  in  which  they 
live ;  those,  in  short,  whom  the  apostle 
describes  under  the  title  of  "  a  remnant 
according  to  the  election  of  grace  ;"  those 
who  were  "  kept  by  the  power  of  God. 
through  faith  unto  salvation." 

Accordingly,  in  the  Scripture  now 
under  examination,  our  Lord  begins  by 
commending  the  little  flock,  before  He 
proceeds  to  bring  forward  His  heavy 
charge  against  the  Church  in  general ; 
"  I  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and 
service,  and  faith,  and  thy  patience  and 
thy  works ;  and  the  last  to  be  more  than 
the  first." 

There  are  few  things  more  consolatory 
to  the  Christian,  than  to  find,  that  thus, 
even  in  the  darkest  ages  of  the  Church, 
the  little  flock  of  the  Redeemer  held  on 
the  even  tenor  of  their  way,  in  humble, 
holy  obedience  to  their  Lord;  not  de- 
terred in  one  age  by  the  terrors  of 
martyrdom,    nor    in    the    next     by   the 


LECTURE  V.  133 

allurements  of  prosperity,  nor  in  this, 
by  the  false  teaching  of  the  Papacy, 
but  going  on  "  from  strength  to  strength," 
until  "  every  one  of  them  in  Zion  appear- 
eth  before  God."* 

And  what  are  the  peculiar  features, 
for  which  on  the  present  occasion,  the 
Saviour  commends  this  little  flock  ? 
Brethren,  it  is  well  worth  your  obser- 
vation to  notice  them  ;  they  are  wholly 
practical.  It  is  not  for  the  great  depth 
of  their  Christian  experience,  their  vast 
attainments  in  spiritual  knowledge,  but 
simply  and  entirely  for  their  practical 
holiness,  and  their  obedience ;  their 
"  works,"  their  "  service,"  their  "  pa- 
tience," their  "love,"  are  the  points  of 
character  particularly  selected  by  Christ 
Himself.  Their  "  faith,"  no  doubt,  also 
finds  a  place,  lest  it  should  be  said 
that  the  other  graces  sprang  not  from 
this,   the    only   root ;    but   how   evident 

*  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  7. 

12 


134  LECTURE  V. 

is  it  from  the  whole  tenor  of  the  com- 
mendation, and  that  not  merely  in  this, 
but  in  every  one  of  the  epistles,  that 
the  faith  which  is  not  continually  bringing 
forth  its  fruits  of  patience,  and  holiness, 
and  habitual  and  progressive  sanctifi- 
cation  of  soul,  is  nothing  worth.  We 
say  progressive,  for  you  will  observe 
how  prominent  a  portion  of  the  com- 
mendation that  characteristic  obtains, 
"I  know  thy  works,  and  the  last  to 
be  more  than  the  first." 

We  often  feel  that  the  great  defi- 
ciency in  the  Christian  teaching  of  the 
present  day  is,  that  it  is  not  suffi- 
ciently practical.  Your  ministers  are 
for  ever  establishing  principles,  and  they 
are  compelled  to  do  so,  because  there 
is  so  much  of  scriptural  error  afloat  in 
the  world,  that  they  are  afraid  of  build- 
ing up  the  superstructure  upon  a  false 
foundation.  But  remember  that  of  "  faith, 
hope,  and  charity,  these  three,"  the 
greatest  is,  and  ever  must  be,  charity. 


LECTURE  V.  135 

»'  Show  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works," 
says  St.  James,  "and  I  will  show  thee 
my  faith   by   my  works."      And  wisely 
did  he  say  so,  for  the  eye  of  man  can 
see  no  other  faith,  and  the  eye  of  God 
will    see    none    other,   but    that   which 
"  worketh    by   love."*      Examine,   then, 
yourselves,  whether  ye  be  in  the  faith, 
and  determine  this,  not  by  your  frames, 
and   feelings,   and   professions,  but  sim- 
ply by   your   fruits,   by   your   "  service" 
to   God,   as   our   Lord    denominates   it. 
What  are  you  doing  for  God?     What 
is  there  practical  in  your  religion  ?   What 
in   the  way  of  charity  ?     What  in   the 
way  of  self-denial  ?     What  in  the  way  of 
patience  and  holiness  ?     What  in  the  way 
of  habitual,  close  and  intimate  secret  com- 
munion with  Himself?     How  many,  alas ! 
are   there,   who    have   attained    in    the 
present  day  to  perfectly  correct  notions 
in  religion,  but  have  gone  not  a  single 
step    beyond.      The   world    sees    them 

*  Galatians  v.  6. 


136  LECTURE  V. 

just  as  worldly ;  Satan  sees  them  just 
as  carnal ;  self  sees  them  just  as  self- 
ish, as  any  other  of  their  respective 
votaries. 

Try  yourselves,  then,  by  these  cri- 
terions  which  we  have  mentioned,  and 
ascertain  before  another  hour  of  life 
has  passed  away,  whether  your  religion 
is  a  practical  thing  ;  whether,  therefore, 
you  are  in  heart  and  soul  among  that 
little  flock,  on  whom  your  Lord  pro- 
nounced His  benediction.  Examine  your- 
self even  by  the  single  test  which  our 
Lord  in  this  passage  has  placed  before 
you.  Can  it  be  truly  said  of  you,  that 
your  "  last  works  are  more  than  the 
first?"  Is  Christianity  a  growing  prin- 
ciple within  your  heart?  A  man  sel- 
dom rises  above  his  principles;  as  his 
principles  are,  so  is  the  man.  Is  Christi- 
anity, then,  a  principle,  and  a  growing 
principle?  Is  your  present  hatred  of 
sin  greater,  your  avoidance  of  it  more 
determined  and  decisive  now,  than  at  any 


LECTURE  V.  137 

former  period?  Are  your  love  to  the 
Saviour,  and  your  ardent  desire  to  be 
conformed  to  His  image,  stronger  now 
than  at  any  previous  time  ?  Is  every 
grace  of  the  Christian  life,  are  your 
charity,  your  patience,  your  self-denial, 
your  obedience,  your  prayerfulness,  all 
on  the  increase  ?  These  are  the  un- 
erring features  of  God's  children ;  want- 
ing these,  you  may  still  possess  much 
resemblance,  but  we  fear  you  have  no 
relationship.  Progress  is  that  family 
likeness  without  which  no  single  child 
of  God  was  ever  found ;  without  which 
not  an  individual  of  Christ's  redeemed 
family  ever  yet  passed  from  its  school 
of  trial  upon  earth,  into  the  happy  and 
rejoicing  society  of  the  many  mansions 
of  His  father's  house,  the  Christian's 
home.  Your  last  works  must  be  more 
than  your  first,  or  it  is  a  fearful  evi- 
dence that  the  principle  of  religion  is 
dead  within  your  bosom. 

In   continuing   the    epistle   before   us, 
12* 


138  LECTURE  V. 

we  shall  find  one  of  the  most  corrobo- 
rative arguments  in  favour  of  the  view 
which  we  have  been  led  to  take  of  the 
typical  or  prospective  nature  of  these 
remarkable  portions  of  Holy  Writ,  which 
they  contain. 

"  Notwithstanding,"  says  our  Lord, 
"  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  be- 
cause thou  sufierest  that  woman,  Jezebel, 
who  calleth  herself  a  prophetess,  to 
teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to 
commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things 
sacri  ced  unto  idols." 

That  any  individual  of  this  name  and 
character  ever  existed  in  the  Church  of 
Thyatira,  there  is  no  record  in  any  his- 
tory of  the  Church  of  Christ.  But  to  you 
who  have  marked  the  progress  of  the 
Christian  Church,  as  typified  by  the 
preceding  epistles,  there  will  not  be  the 
slightest  difficulty  in  ascertaining  the 
antitype  of  this  spiritual  Jezebel. 

We  have,  as  we  have  before  observed, 
now  arrived  at  that  period  when  tlie  Pa- 


LECTURE  V.  139 

pacy  was  beginning  to  assume  temporal 
power,  laying  claim  to  supremacy,  and 
adopting  the  title  of  God's  vicegerent 
upon  earth ;  asserting  the  infallibility  of 
the  Pope,  the  corporeal  presence  of  Christ 
in  the  sacrament,  and  oppressing,  and 
misleading,  and  finally  persecuting,  the 
true  Church  of  the  Redeemer. 

Under  the  type  of  Jezebel,  the  wife 
of  Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  the  Popedom, 
then,  is  most  plainly  pointed  out.  Ob- 
serve only  for  a  moment,  how  many 
features  there  were  in  common.  Jeze- 
bel was  the  daughter  of  a  Pagan  prince  ; 
so  Papal  Rome  has  been  most  distinctly 
proved,  from  the  similarity  of  her  rites 
and  ceremonies,  to  be  the  daughter  of 
Pagan  Rome.  Jezebel  was  a  queen ; 
so  has  the  Romish  Church  ever  declared 
herself;  and  under  this  character  she  is 
made  the  subject  of  a  remarkable  pro- 
phecy in  the  17th  chapter  of  the  Revela- 
tion, where  she  is  described  as  "  the 
woman,  arrayed   in   purple  and   scarlet 


140  LECTURE  V. 

colour,  and  decked  with  gold,  and  pre- 
cious stones,  and  pearls,"  "  and  drunken 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  with 
the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus,"  and 
carried  by  the  beast  "  with  the  seven 
heads."  While  as  if  even  this  were  not 
sufficiently  plain  to  designate  her,  the 
apostle  himself  adds,  "  The  seven  heads 
are  seven  mountains,  on  which  the 
woman  sitteth."  Surely  the  symbolical 
language  of  prophecy  never  contained  a 
plainer  sentence,  than  when  it  thus  iden- 
tified the  seat  of  this  woman  of  blood, 
with  the  city  of  the  seven  hills,  first 
Pagan  and  then  Papal  Rome. 

Our  Lord  declares  that  this  spiritual 
Jezebel  called  herself  a  prophetess,  and 
taught  and  seduced  her  "  servants  to 
commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things 
sacrificed  unto  idols."  How  dis- 
tinctly the  Church  of  Rome  proclaimed 
herself  a  prophetess,  let  the  well-known 
dogma  of  the  Papacy,  "  The  Church, 
the  only  true   interpreter  of  scripture," 


LECTURE  V.  141 

most  plainly  tell.     While  the  fact  of  the 
leading  the  servants  of  Christ  into  spiritual 
fornication,   by   teaching   them   to   offer 
their    petitions   to   the   Virgin    Mother, 
and  to  every  saint  of  God,  instead  of  the 
one  only  Object  of  prayer,  and  the  one 
Mediator   between   God   and   man,    the 
man    Christ    Jesus,   is    too    obvious    to 
need  a  comment.     While,  that  the  ado- 
ration of  images,  accompanied   even  by 
the  most  favourable  interpretation  which 
can  be  assigned  it,  viz.  that  the  symbol 
is  not  worshipped,  but  merely  the  object 
which    is   symbolised,   is   still    regarded 
as  idolatry,  by  that  God  who  will  never 
give   his   glory   to    another,  both   scrip- 
ture   and     Church     history    abundantly 
establish.     Hear    only   a    short   extract 
from  the  very  remarkable  Protest,  which 
was  signed  by  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  bishops,  and  was  addressed  to  the 
reigning  pope  about  the  middle  of  the 
eighth  century,  and  consequently  during 
that    period    upon    which   we   are   now 


142  LECTURE  V. 

commenting.  The  occasion  of  this  Pro- 
test was  a  bull  issued  by  the  reigning 
pontiff  to  excommunicate  all  those  who 
should  remove,  or  speak  contemptuously 
of  images  ;  and  this  is  the  indignant  lan- 
guage of  those  spiritually  enlightened 
men  who  believed  the  image  worship  of 
the  Papacy  to  be  merely  idolatry  in 
disguise.  "  Jesus  Christ,"  say  they, 
"hath  delivered  us  from  idolatry,  and 
hath  taught  us  to  adore  Him  in  spirit 
and  in  truth.  But  the  Devil,  not  being 
able  to  endure  the  beauty  of  the  Church, 
hath  insensibly  brought  back  idolatry, 
under  the  appearance  of  Christianity ; 
persuading  men  to  worship  the  creature, 
and  to  take  for  God  a  work  to  which 
they  give  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ."* 

It  is  an  evil  and  bitter  thing  for  the 
present  generation,  that  errors  such  as 
these  are  so  lightly  thought  of;  and 
that  a  religion  which  has  done  more  to 
blind  men's  eyes   and  to  harden  men's 

»  Milner's  Church  History,  III.  162. 


LECTURE  V.  143 

hearts  to  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  grace, 
than  any  other  which  holds  the  great 
and  vital  truths  of  Christianity,  should 
now  be  looked  at,  if  not  with  compla- 
cency, still  with  indifference,  and  be 
spoken  of  as  distinguished  from  our  own, 
merely  by  some  minute  shades  of  doc- 
trine, of  far  too  little  import,  to  trouble 
the  minds  of  men  of  enlarged  views 
and  philosophic  principles.  How  dif- 
ferently did  the  holy  army  of  martyrs 
think  and  act,  during  the  Marian  per- 
secutions in  our  own  country ;  they 
cheerfully  went  to  the  stake,  rather  than 
give  place  even  for  a  moment,  to  errors 
which  they  knew  had  been  the  ruin  of 
many  an  immortal  soul. 

But  we  must  pass  on  to  the  sentence 
of  this  spiritual  Jezebel,  which  is  as 
clearly  announced  in  the  epistle  before 
us,  as  her  sins. 

"  I  gave  her  space,"  continues  our 
Lord, — perhaps  to  intimate  the  lapse  of 
centuries     during    which    Popery    was 


144  LECTURE  V. 

spreading  over  the  whole  face  of  Chris- 
tendom,— "I  gave  her  space,  to  repent 
of  her  fornication  ;  and  she  repented  not. 
Behold,'' — to  call  our  attention  strongly 
to  the  singular  nature  of  her  punishment, 
— "  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed, 
and  them  that  commit  adultery  with 
her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they 
repent  of  their  deeds;  and  I  will  kill 
her  children  with  death ;  and  all  the 
Churches  shall  know,  that  I  am  He 
which  searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts." 

In  other  words,  I  will  not  cut  oif 
Papal  Rome,  as  I  cut  off  Pagan  Rome, 
in  a  moment,  by  the  breath  of  my 
mouth  ;  I  will  not,  as  it  were,  despatch 
her  at  a  blow,  but  I  will  cast  her  into 
a  bed  of  languishing  and  sickness,  that 
all  the  Protestant  Churches  may  behold 
the  day  of  her  visitation  :  that  as  they 
have  seen  her  year  after  year  aggran- 
dising herself  with  the  wealth  of  nations, 
and  setting  her  foot  upon  the  necks  of 
kings,  and   ruling   the   destinies   of  the 


LECTURE  V.  145 

world,  SO  now  shall  they  behold  her, 
year  after  year,  losing  all  her  ill-gotten 
possessions,  driven  out  of  country  after 
country,  waxing  weaker  and  weaker, 
her  flesh  and  her  strength  failing  her, 
until,  like  one  who  falls  beneath  the  in- 
roads of  decline,  she  shall  gradually 
waste  even  unto  death,  flattering  herself 
to  the  very  last  that  it  is  no  mortal 
malady,  and  holding  forth  in  her  ex- 
piring struggles,  a  frightful  example  of 
the  recklessness  of  those  who  desert 
the  living  God. 

Is  it  possible  to  imagine  a  more  ac- 
curate description  of  the  fate  which, 
from  the  days  of  the  blessed  Reformation, 
when  the  mortal  sickness  of  Popery 
first  began,  even  to  the  present  hour, 
has  attended  and  is  attending.  Papal 
Rome,  than  is  here  conveyed  by  our 
Lord  in  a  single  phrase,  "  I  will  cast 
her  into  a  bed"  of  sickness,  and  as  it 
shall  assuredly  be,  in  His  good  time,  a 
bed  of  death  ?  Is  there  one  among  us, 
13 


146  LECTURE  V. 

who  knows  any  thing  of  the  history  of 
the  Church,  or  of  the  world,  during  the 
last  three  centuries,  who  cannot  pro- 
nounce upon  its  truth  ?  The  name  of 
Pope,  at  the  mere  mention  of  which, 
in  days  gone  by,  the  sceptered  monarch 
grew  pale  upon  his  throne,  has  now 
become  almost  an  empty  title  ;  while  the 
weight  of  the  triple  crown  has  become 
but  as  dust  upon  the  balance  in  the 
scale  of  European  policy.  And  although 
we  fear  that  we  ourselves  as  a  people, 
by  forbearing  to  follow  out  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  blessed  Reformation,  and 
acting  far  too  much  in  the  spirit  of 
worldly  concession  and  sympathy  with 
this  great  enemy  of  pure  and  undefiled 
religion,  have  soothed  her  dying  pillow, 
and  endeavoured  to  traverse  the  de- 
signs of  the  Almighty,  and  are  at 
this  moment  suffering  and  shall  suffer 
for  having  thus  procrastinated  her  dying 
pangs ;  still  the  threatening  of  the  Lord 
standeth  sure ;  and  however  dark   and 


LECTURE  V.  147 

desperate  be  the  death-struggles  of 
Popery,  never  shall  she  arise  from  that 
bed  of  languishing,  restored  to  her  pris- 
tine energy  and  health ;  but  as  the  clear 
rays  of  gospel  truth  rise  higher  and 
higher  upon  our  horizon,  she  shall  sink 
lower  and  lower,  until  she  meet  the 
fate,  for  which  the  accumulated  guilt  of 
centuries  of  error,  and  centuries  of  blood, 
have  fitted  her,  until  she  perish  from 
off  the  earth,  and  "  the  carcase  of 
Jezebel  shall  be  as  dung  upon  the  face 
of  the  field." 

In  conclusion,  we  must  consider  the 
promise  of  the  Saviour,  with  which  the 
epistle  closes.  "  He  that  overcometh, 
and  keepeth  my  works  unto  the  end, 
to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the 
nations;  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a 
rod  of  iron ;  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter 
shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers;  even 
as  I  received  of  my  Father.  And  I  will 
give  him  the  morning  star."* 

»  Revelation  ii.  26,  27. 


148  LECTURE  V. 

By  the  former  part  of  this  promise, 
the  power  which  the  true  disciples  of 
Christ  shall  exercise  over  "  the  nations," 
as  the  followers  of  the  Papacy  are 
here  denominated,  is  probably  intended, 
the  spiritual  effects  of  those  great  truths, 
which  the  rod  of  God's  strength,  the 
everlasting  gospel,  brought  to  light  at 
the  Reformation ;  and  which  have  in  so 
wonderful  a  manner,  broken  in  pieces 
the  fetters  of  superstition,  and  swept 
away  the  refuges  of  lies  from  so  many 
countries  of  the  world.  The  latter  por- 
tion of  the  promise,  however,  from  its 
application  to  our  own  business  and 
bosoms,  requires  perhaps  a  more  minute 
investigation,  "  I  will  give  him  the  morn- 
ing star." 

Had  not  our  Lord  made  use  of  the 
same  remarkable  expression  again,  in  a 
more  advanced  portion  of  this  prophecy, 
we  should  have  been  at  a  loss  in  what 
manner  to  have  interpreted  a  phrase, 
which  as  it  stands  thus  isolated  and  un- 


LECTURE  V.  149 

explained  is  perfectly  unintelligible.  By 
a  reference,  however,  to  the  16th  verse 
of  the  22d  chapter,  we  find  our  Lord 
distinctly  declaring,  "  I  am  the  bright  and 
morning  star/' 

This  then  is  the  gift,  even  Himself, 
with  which  the  Saviour  presents  the 
overcoming  Christian,  when  he  says,  "  I 
will  give  him  the  morning  star,'-  to 
enHghten  his  dreary  prospect,  to  guide 
his  wandering  feet,  and  to  cheer  his 
darkened  heart. 

It  is  a  peculiarity  well  worthy  of 
observation,  that  in  the  "  exceeding  great 
and  precious  promises,"*  with  which  our 
Lord  concludes  each  of  these  epistles, 
the  highest  reward  that  He  holds  out, 
the  richest  possession  that  He  ever  offers 
to  His  overcoming  servants,  is — the  pro- 
mise of  Himself.  Thus,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  to  the  conquering  Christians 
of  one  age.  He  promised  the  fruit  of  the 
"  tree  of  life,"  even  Jesus  Christ,  of  which 

*  2  Peter  i.  4. 

13* 


150  LECTURE  V. 

"  if  a  man  eat,  he  shall  live  for  ever." 
To  those  of  another,  He  promised  "  the 
hidden  manna,"  even  Jesus  Christ,  the 
true  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven. 
To  those  of  a  third.  He  also  promises 
"  the  morning  star,"  even  Jesus  Christ 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness. 

Whence  comes  it,  brethren,  that  in 
the  unbounded  wealth  of  heaven,  there 
is  so  Httle  variety ;  in  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ,  so  great  a  paucity  of 
gifts  !  that  Christ  and  Christ  alone  should 
be  the  highest  heritage,  and  dearest 
reward,  of  His  overcoming  servants  ? 
We  trust  that  many  among  you  can, 
from  your  own  experience,  from  the 
feelings  of  your  own  hearts,  well  answer 
this  inquiry ;  that  you  are  able  to 
reply.  What  more  could  even  God  Him- 
self bestow?  Possessing  Christ,  we 
know,  we  feel,  we  realise  the  apostle's 
declaration,"  "  All  things  are  ours,  and 
we  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's."* 

•  1  Corinthians  iii.  22,  23. 


LECTURE  V.  151 

Yes,  brethren,  we  trust  that  many 
among  you  do  thus  know,  and  that 
many  more,  in  God's  good  time,  will 
thus  know,  by  happy  experience,  the 
full  meaning  of  the  promise  and  its  ful- 
tilment ;  that  often  amidst  the  trials  and 
disappointments  of  life,  when  other 
friends  and  other  prospects  fail  you, 
and  other  comforters  there  are  none, 
you  will  be  enabled  to  say,  Christ  is 
mine,  and  in  Him  I  have  Father,  Bro- 
ther, Husband,  Friend — "  thanks  be 
unto  God  for  His  unspeakable  gift." 
That  often,  while  on  the  bed  of  sickness, 
when  all  the  world  must  be  shut  out, 
when  the  curtains  which  are  drawn 
around  you,  are  emblems  of  the  veil 
that  must  soon  be  let  fall  for  ever  be- 
tween you  and  the  inhabitants  of  earth, 
you  will  still  be  enabled  to  rejoice  in 
Him,  who  when  once  yours,  is  yours 
for  ever  ;  whose  brightness  no  veil  can 
intercept,  if  He  have  once  arisen  as  the 
morning    star   within   your   heart;    and 


152  LECTURE  V. 

who  will  there  shine  forth  in  all  the 
peace  and  hope  and  love  which  attend 
Him,  and  pour  into  your  soul,  the  beams 
of  His  grace,  as  freely  and  as  fully  in 
the  darkest  day  of  sickness  and  of  death, 
as  in  the  brightest  hour  of  health  and 
prosperity. 

We  need  not  then  tell  the  Christian, 
for  he  already  knows  by  happy  expe- 
rience, why  our  Lord,  under  whatever 
symbol  he  expressed  it,  reserved  this 
blessed  promise  of  Himself,  as  the  richest 
treasure  for  his  overcoming  people ! 
because  there  is  nothing  in  ,^is  world 
which  can  bear  a  moment's  competition, 
with  it ;  because  there  is  no  other  gift 
in  all  the  treasury  of  heaven  for  which 
you  would  exchange  it;  because  it  is 
the  only  gift,  equally  dear  at  all  hours, 
equally  invaluable  under  all  dispen- 
sations. In  the  darkest  moments  of 
affliction  and  sorrow.  He  has  been  to 
you  "the  morning  star."  In  the  most 
trying   time  of  the  soul's  worst  famine, 


LECTURE  V.  153 

He  is  to  you  "  the  hidden  manna." 
In  the  hour  of  death  and  in  the  day 
of  judgment,  He  will  be  to  you  "  the 
tree  of  life."  "  Thanks  be  unto  God 
for  His  unspeakable  gift." 

But  there  is  yet  a  last  use  to  be 
made  of  this  transcendant  promise,  be- 
fore we  leave  it.  It  is  to  help  to  impress 
upon  those  among  you,  to  whom  all 
that  we  have  just  said,  sounds  like  the 
fancies  of  the  enthusiast,  rather  than  the 
sober  conviction  of  the  staid  and  settled 
believer,  that  where  this  promise  is  not 
realised,  where  Christ  is  not  sought  as  the 
first,  great  object  of  your  love,  and  your 
obedience,  and  your  anticipations,  there 
all  duties,  all  ordinances  of  religion,  are 
dead  and  unprofitable.  It  was  beautifully 
said  by  one  of  old,  in  reference  to  this 
very  feeling,  which  I  am  now  endea- 
vouring to  inculcate,  "  Use  thy  duties, 
as  Noah's  dove  did  her  wings,  to  carry 
thee  to  the  ark  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
where   only   there   is   rest :    if  she   had 


154  LECTURE  V. 

never  used  her  wings,  she  had  fallen 
into  the  water,  and  if  she  had  not  re- 
turned to  the  Ark,  she  had  found  no 
rest :  so  if  thou  shalt  use  no  duties,  but 
cast  them  off,  thou  art  sure  to  perish,  but 
if  they  convey  thee  not  to  Christ,  thou 
wilt  still  lie  down  in  sorrow."  Would  that 
it  might  please  God  to  convey  this  truth 
to  every  heart  now  present.  Be  assured 
that  our  Lord  would  never  have  made 
Himself  the  great  object  of  all  His 
promises,  if  His  people  could  exist 
without  Him.  No,  every  era  of  Chris- 
tianity has  left  one,  and  but  one  record  ; 
viz.  that  Christ  and  Christ  alone  is  the 
satisfying  portion  of  His  people.  Listen 
to  the  Church  in  one  age  exclaiming, 
"My  beloved  is  mine  and  I  am  His."* 
In  another,  and  the  voice  issued  from 
a  throne,  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but 
Thee,  and  there  is  none  upon  earth 
that  I  desire,  in  comparison  of  Thee."* 
In  a  third,  and  the  cry  came  even  from 

*  Solomon's  Song  ii.  16.  t  Psalm  Ixxiii.  25. 


LECTURE  V.  156 

the  fires  of  martyrdom,  "  None  but 
Christ,  none  but  Christ."  Brethren, 
the  language  of  the  Church  in  all  ages, 
must  be  the  language  of  our  hearts,  if 
we  desire  to  be  with  Christ  where  He 
is,  and  to  behold  His  glory ;  our  con- 
stant prayer  must  be,  that  Christ,  "the 
power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God," 
may  be  our  own ;  that  He  may  be  made 
unto  us,  individually,  "  wisdom,  and 
righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and 
redemption."* 

♦  Corinthians  i.  30. 


EPISTLE    TO    SARDIS. 


LECTURE  VI. 

Revelation  iii.  3. 

Remember,  therefore,  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard ; 
and  hold  fast,  and  repent. 

In  the  last  church-state,  of  which  we 
considered  the  Church  in  Thyatira  to 
be  the  type,  we  beheld  the  Christian 
Church  suffering  deeply  and  grievously 
from  the  errors  and  the  oppression  of 
Popery.  We  traced  it  during  the  time 
when  that  unscriptural  system  was  pre- 
dominant, and  we  concluded  at  the  period 
of  the  ever-blessed  Reformation,  when  the 
infliction  of  the  threatened  punishment  had 
commenced,  when  the  Church  of  Rome 


160  LECTURE  VI. 

had  been  cast  upon  her  bed  of  lan- 
guishing, from  which  she  never  since 
has  arisen,  and  from  which  she  never 
shall  arise,  in  her  pristine  energy  and 
health,  but  shall  continue  wasting  gra- 
dually, yet  surely,  until  she  go  hence 
and  be  no  more  seen. 

The  Church  of  Sardis,  then,  of  which 
we  are  to  speak  this  day,  we  believe  to 
be  the  type  of  the  Christian  Church 
after  the  Reformation,  including  the  pre- 
sent period  within  its  limits  and  stretching 
on  even  to  that  blessed  and  happy  time, 
foretold  by  the  prophet,  when  "know- 
ledge of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth, 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea."* 

We  commence  by  again  calhng  your 
attention  to  the  appropriate  nature  of 
the  preface  to  the  epistle  before  us. 
"These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the 
seven  Spirits  of  God,  and  the  seven 
stars."  The  seven  stars  are,  as  we  are 
told     in    the    20th     verse     of    the     1st 

*  Isaiah  xi.  9. 


LECTURE  VI.  161 

chapter,  the  symbols  of  the  angels,  or 
bishops,  of  the  seven  Churches ;  while 
the  phrase,  "  the  seven  Spirits  of  God," 
is  the  language  which  the  evangelist 
adopts  in  the  4th  verse  of  the  same 
chapter  to  express  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
in  this  remarkable  benediction,  "Grace 
be  unto  you  and  peace,  from  Him  which 
is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come ; 
and  from  the  seven  Spirits  which  are 
before  His  throne;  and  from  Jesus 
Christ ;"  clearly  showing  that  the  seven 
Spirits  before  the  throne  can  intend 
only  "  God  the  Holy  Ghost,"  since  no 
created  beings  could  ever  have  been 
united  by  the  apostle,  with  God  the 
Father  and  God  the  Son,  as  the  eternal 
source  of  grace  and  peace.  Our  Lord, 
therefore,  in  the  passage  before  us,  by 
describing  Himself  as  one  who  hath 
"the  seven  Spirits  of  God,"  intends  to 
remind  His  Church,  that  He  has,  as  the 
prophet  Malachi  expresses  it,  "  the  resi- 
due of  the  Spirit;"  that  Christ  and 
14* 


162  LECTURE  VI. 

His  Spirit  are  never  separated;  that  if 
we  "  have  not  the  Spirit   of  Christ   we 
are  none  of  His  ;"   and  that  if  we  desire 
a  real  revival  of  religion  in  the  Church 
at  large,  such  as  marked  the  era  of  the 
Reformation,  or  a  distinct  and  influential 
increase  of  spiritual  feeling  in  our  own 
hearts,  they  are  to  be  obtained  entirely 
by   the    outpouring    of   God   the    Holy 
Ghost,  and    this   can  only   be   expected 
by    earnest,    faithful,    persevering    appli- 
cation to  Him,  who  hath  "  the  residue 
of  the  Spirit."     A  truth    how    well   re- 
membered during  the   first   days  of  the 
Reformation,   let   the   prayers   and    the 
practices  of  the  whole  body  of  Protestant 
confessors  and  Protestant  martyrs  most 
loudly  tell ;    but  alas !   ought  we  not  to 
add,   also,  a  truth  how   lamentably  for- 
gotten, how  seldom  acknowledged,  how 
little     acted    upon,    in    the    Protestant 
Church,   after   the   first   ardour   of   the 
Reformation  cooled,  let  almost  a  century 
of  deadness  and  formality  in  the  reformed 


LECTURE  VI.  163 

Churches,  both  on  the  continent  and  at 
home,   as   plainly   declare.     Thanks   be 
to  God,  however,  this  truth  is  once  again 
reviving,  and  men  will  now  hear  of  spi- 
ritual influences,  without  ridicule  ;  and  of 
the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  with- 
out prejudice  ;    and  of  the  necessity  of 
being  born  again  of  the  Spirit,  and  re- 
newed by  the  Spirit,  and  directed  daily 
and  hourly  by   the  good   Spirit  of   our 
God,  without  doubting,  with   Festus   of 
old,  the  sanity  of  the  speaker,  or  believing 
that  such  vital  and  blessed  truths  have 
their  origin  in  the  heated  brain  of  the 
enthusiast.      For    this,   we   desire   con- 
tinually to  thank  God ;    for  we  believe 
that  never  is  there  in  any  age,    a  real 
increase  of  true  religion,  and  practical 
holiness,  without  its  having  been  preceded 
and  accompanied  by  a  wide  extension  of 
this  great  truth,  and  a  large  outpouring 
of  the  spirit  of  prayer,  for  these  divine 
and  essential  spiritual  influences. 

We  proceed  to   the  consideration   of 


164  LECTURE  VI. 

the  epistle  itself, — "  I  know  thy  works, 
that  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  Hvest, 
and  art  dead.  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen 
the  things  which  remain,  that  are  ready 
to  die;  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works 
perfect  before  God.  Remember,  there- 
fore, how  thou  hast  received  and  heard  ; 
and  hold  fast,  and  repent." 

The  propriety  of  this  language  even 
to  the  reformed  Church  of  the  Re- 
deemer, will  be  applicable,  if  we  call  to 
mind  how  very  speedily  after  the  day- 
star  of  the  Reformation  arose,  its  light 
was  dimmed,  and  its  face  was  clouded. 
Even  the  Reformers  themselves  con- 
fessed that  the  Reformation  never  was 
tinished :  our  own  Church  declares  as 
much  in  her  service  for  Ash- Wednesday ; 
while  those  who  are  best  read  in  the 
writings  of  the  ages  which  have  suc- 
ceeded that  glorious  era,  when  the 
Church  emerged  from  the  darkness  of 
Popery,  will  mournfully  agree  that  our 
Lord  spake  the  language  of  truth  when 


LECTURE  VI.  165 

He  asserted,  "  I  have  not  found  thy 
works  perfect,"  i.  e.  complete,  filled  up, 
"  before  God."  "  Remember,  therefore, 
how  thou  hast  received  and  heard."  Re- 
collect how  plainly  the  great  truths  of 
the  gospel  were  promulged  by  Luther 
and  Melancthon,  by  Cranmer  and  Latimer 
and  Ridley,  and  the  holy  army  of  mar- 
tyrs, and  "  hold  fast,  and  repent." 

But  we  must  not,  by  speaking  thus 
generally  of  these  charges  of  our  Lord, 
neglect  the  individual  application  of  them. 
What  is  true  of  the  particular  church- 
state  of  which  we  speak,  and  in  which 
our  lot  has  been  cast,  must  be  true 
of  many  individuals  in  it,  may  be  true 
of  ourselves. 

Let  us,  then,  employ  a  few  moments 
in  the  examination  of  them.  First,  our 
Lord  declares,  "  I  know  thy  works,  that 
thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and 
art  dead." 

He  speaks,  then,  in  these  words,  evi- 
dently of  those  who  make  some  profession 


166  LECTURE  VI. 

of  religion.  The  outward,  gross,  and 
avowed  sinner,  who  despises  even  the  form 
of  godUness,  has  not  a  name  that  hves  ; 
here  is,  therefore,  no  reference  to  him. 
But  to  you,  who  by  your  attendance 
upon  the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  and 
the  ordinances  and  sacraments  of  Christ, 
declare  yourselves  to  be  his  followers, 
and  therefore  possess  a  name,  we  are 
fully  justified  in  offering  the  charge  be- 
fore you,  as  a  matter  for  personal  self- 
examination.  Are  you,  then,  so  deeply 
engaged  in  the  pleasures  and  the  va- 
nities of  the  world,  that  they  engross 
your  time,  and  your  thoughts,  and  your 
affections  ;  the  day  passing  over  you  in 
idleness  which  leaves  no  profitable  trace 
upon  your  memory  or  your  heart;  the 
night  devoted  to  society ;  and  the  great 
work  of  the  soul  all  crowded  into  these 
few  Sabbath  hours  ?  Or,  is  the  same 
effect  produced,  though  by  a  widely 
different  cause  ?  does  the  necessary  bu- 
siness of  life  thus  enslave  and  alienate 


LECTURE  VI.  167 

you,  and  do  you  think  that  the  duty 
of  providing  for  your  family  is  quite 
sufficient  excuse  in  your  case,  for  making 
so  slender  a  provision  for  your  soul '( 
It  matters  little  what  is  the  cause,  when 
this  is  the  effect ;  you  have,  indeed, 
most  fearful  reason  to  apprehend  that 
you  can  make  no  satisfactory  answer  to 
the  charge  before  you,  "  Thou  hast  a 
name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead." 
For  that  spiritual  life  which  is  not  fed 
by  daily  prayer,  which  is  not  influencing 
the  whole  week,  which  is  not  sup- 
plying motives,  and  desires,  and  rules 
of  action,  throughout  the  daily  inter- 
course of  life,  and  making  the  kingdom 
of  God  and  your  preparation  for  it  the 
first  feeling  of  your  heart,  is  but  a 
name ;  and  at  the  last  great  day  will 
be  found  to  have  been  but  as  "  sounding 
brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal." 

Again,  you  who  have  made  some 
progress  in  religion,  and  yet  whose 
Christian   profession   produces  such  few 


168  LECTURE  VI. 

and  meagre  fruits.  In  your  business,  it 
does  not  prevent  you  from  taking  any 
undue  advantage  of  those  who  are  less 
wary,  or  less  prudent,  than  yourselves ; 
there  is  as  much  covetousness,  as  eager 
a  desire  to  accumulate,  and  as  little 
hesitation  about  the  manner  and  the 
method  of  it,  as  in  those  who  have  no 
religious  feelings  at  all.  In  your  fa- 
milies, there  is  as  much  inconsistency, 
and  extravagance,  and  display,  as  in  the 
most  worldly.  In  secret,  there  is,  when- 
ever the  opportunity  offers,  indulgence 
in  sinful  practises  which  your  heart  con- 
demns. In  your  domestic  intercourse, 
there  are  as  many  outbreakings  of  un- 
kind and  evil  tempers,  of  sullenness,  of 
irritability,  of  harsh  and  angry  speeches 
to  those  who  are  with  you,  of  uncha- 
ritable reflections  upon  those  around  you, 
as  in  houses  where  the  word  of  God 
is  not  respected,  and  family  prayer  is 
a  thing  unknown.  What  is  religion  but 
a  name,  when  these  things  go  on  from 


LECTURE  VI.  169 

day   to   day,   and    from    year   to    year, 
unchecked  ? 

Great  need,  then,  have  we  all  of  these 
warnings  of  our  Redeemer,  for  to  whom 
may  we  not  with  propriety  address  his 
own  exhortation,  "  Be  watchful,  and 
strengthen  the  things  which  remain,  that 
are  ready  to  die  :  for  I  have  not  found 
thy  works  perfect  before  God."  He 
who  looks  into  the  heart,  sees  no  work 
perfect  there ;  every  thing  unfinished, 
incomplete,  marred  at  its  very  best, 
by  some  mingling  of  earthly  motives, 
some  unworthy  intention,  from  which 
the  action  flows,  or  some  unholy  frame 
by  which  it  is  succeeded.  Man  beholds, 
for  instance,  an  act  of  splendid  charity  ; 
but  Christ  looks  into  the  core  of  that 
fair  fruit,  and  there  He  sees  the  worm 
of  selfishness  or  vanity.  Man  beholds 
the  tear  of  penitence,  and  hears  the 
strongest  declaration  of  self-abhorrence 
and  humility ;  but  Christ  again  looks 
into  the  heart,  and  there  in  some  dark 
15 


170  LECTURE  VI. 

corner  sits  spiritual  pride,  feasting  her- 
self upon  the  praises  which  men  are 
heaping  on  this  mock  humihty.  Men 
hear  us  speak  of  love  to  God,  as  if 
we  burned  with  the  zeal  of  an  archangel, 
but  Christ  follows  us  into  our  chambers, 
and  there  finds  our  prayers  so  cold, 
our  meditations  so  heartless,  that  Satan 
himself  might  boast  of  love  to  God 
with  almost  as  much  propriety  as  we. 
To  that  Saviour  who  sees  the  heart, 
nothing  appears  filled  up,  nothing  car- 
ried out  to  that  extent,  to  which  by 
the  grace  of  God,  even  such  poor, 
erring  and  imperfect  being's  as  ourselves, 
might  carry  them.  Well,  then,  does 
he  add,  "  Remember  how  thou  hast 
received  and  heard  ;  and  hold  fast,  and 
repent."  It  is  this  holding  fast  which 
is  the  first  step  towards  filling  up  ;  and 
doubtless  one  great  reason  why  so  many 
never  attempt  to  strive  for  the  higher 
advances  in  the  Christian  life,  that 
spiritual  progress  of  which  the  last  epistle 


LECTURE  VI.  171 

spoke,  is  because  they  hold  so  loosely 
what  they  have  already  heard  so  in- 
attentively, and  received  so  carelessly. 
Upon  this  point,  we  would  especially 
desire  to  warn  and  caution  you,  be- 
cause we  believe  it  to  be  one  on  which 
so  very  many  greatly  need  our  warning. 
There  have  been  times  when  you 
have  left  the  sanctuary  of  God,  with 
deep  and  solemn  impressions  of  the 
sacred  truths  which  you  have  "  received 
and  heard ;"  and  as  you  have  been  re- 
turning to  your  homes,  you  have  re- 
solved that  nothing  should  induce  you 
to  yield  to  temptations  into  which  you 
have  before  repeatedly  fallen  ;  you  have 
even  declared  to  yourself  that  certain 
associates  should  be  given  up;  certain 
people,  or  places,  or  practices,  avoided, 
because  you  feel  that  they  have  led 
you  into  sin,  and  you  cannot  bear  the 
thought  of  the  fearful  reckoning,  by 
which  that  sin  must  be  inevitably  fol- 
lowed.    Or,    better    still,    because    you 


172  LECTURE  VI. 

see  such  a  charm  in  a  truly  religious 
life,  and  such  a  blessedness  for  those 
who  seek  God,  and  such  loveliness  in 
God  Himself  as  revealed  to  you  in 
Christ  Jesus,  that  you  find  you  cannot 
justify  yourself,  even  to  your  own 
heart,  in  the  course  you  are  now  pur- 
suing. These  are  your  better  moments  ; 
these  are  the  times  when  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  striving  with  you,  and  proving 
to  your  soul,  that  there  really  is  some- 
thing in  religion,  something  in  a  life 
of  holy  communion  with  God,  and 
obedience  to  him,  which  as  certainly 
surpasses  the  poor  perishing  pleasures 
of  the  world,  as  it  will  assuredly  out- 
live them.  And  why  have  not  these 
feelings  lasted?  or  why  produced  no 
fruit?  And  why,  in  so  short  a  time, 
have  Satan  and  the  world,  and  your 
corrupt  heart,  again  asserted  their  su- 
premacy, and  again  obtained  a  triumph  ? 
were  these  great  realities  less  true, 
when  you   were  neglecting   them,   than 


LECTURE  Vr.  173 

when  you  first  received  them  ?  No ! 
This  was  not  the  reason  that  their  in- 
fluence was  so  feeble,  their  reign  so 
short.  It  was  because  you  neglected 
to  "  hold  fast  what  you  had  received 
and  heard."  There  was  no  earnest, 
faithful,  persevering  prayer  to  God, 
which,  "  like  a  nail  in  a  sure  place,"* 
would  have  transfixed  the  feeling,  and 
have  kept  it  there.  There  was  no  strong 
and  settled  grasp  by  which  the  hand 
of  a  true  faith  clings  to  each  doctrine, 
precept,  promise,  as  it  is  held  out  to 
it;  but  there  was  a  trifling,  a  mere 
playing  with  the  solemn  realities  of  the 
scripture,  and  of  God,  permitting  them 
to  flit  around  your  fancy,  but  never 
actually  closing  with  them,  embracing 
them,  and  thus  making  them  your  own, 
to  live  and  die  upon  them.  Who  can 
be  surprised  at  the  result;  they  have 
left  no  durable  impression  upon  your 
soul ;  you  are  not  in  any,  the  slightest 

*  Isaiah  xzii.  23. 

15* 


174  LECTURE  VI. 

degree,  the  better  for  having  once 
heard,  and  for  the  passing  hour  ap- 
proved and  appreciated  them.  We  urge 
you,  then,  now  to  listen  to  the  Saviour's 
exhortation,  "  hold  fast  the  things  that 
remain,"  the  httle  abiding  sense  of 
these  great  truths  which  yet  survives, 
weak  and  feeble  though  it  be,  and 
ready  to  perish.  Cling  to  them  with 
that  energy  with  which  if  a  man  were 
forced  off  the  brink  of  a  precipice  he 
would  cling  to  the  roots  of  some  pro- 
jecting tree,  as  the  last  hope  between 
him  and  eternity.  So  cling  to  the  hope 
set  before  you  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord ; 
though  your  hold  be  now  fainter  and 
weaker  than  it  once  was,  though  your 
hands  be  weary,  slacken  not  your  grasp ; 
remember,  if  this  fail  you,  all  will  fail 
you ;  there  is  no  other  hope ;  there 
is  not  another  projecting  fibre  between 
you  and  the  hell  beneath.  "  Be  watch- 
ful, strengthen  the  things  that  remain;" 
prayer  will  strengthen   them,  holy  obe- 


LECTURE  VI.  175 

dience  will  strengthen  them,  a  renewed 
appHcation  to  the  blood  of  Christ  will 
strengthen  them,  and  will  enable  you 
to  regain  your  footing  upon  the  rock 
from  whence  you  are  fallen,  and  once 
more  to  stand  firmly,  and  to  be  at 
peace. 

But  we  must  speak  briefly  of  the 
threatening  in  this  epistle  before  we  pass 
on  to  its  concluding  promise. 

There  is  a  peculiarity  in  this  threat- 
ening differing  fearfully  from  all  that 
precede  it,  viz.  that  it  is  a  type  of  those 
judgments  which  are  at  the  present  mo- 
ment unfulfilled  !  When  we  read  in  the 
first  epistle  that  unless  the  Church  in 
the  apostle's  age  repented,  its  candle- 
stick should  be  removed ;  we  remarked 
at  the  same  time  its  fulfilment.  She  did 
not  repent,  her  candlestick  was  removed, 
the  open  ministration  of  the  Spirit  ceased, 
and  she  became  the  early  prey  of  heretics 
and  schismatics.  Again,  when  we  marked 
in   the   days   of  the  Church's   opulence 


176  LECTURE  VI. 

and  power,  the  threatening  that  unless 
she  repented,  the  Lord  would  come 
quickly,  and  fight  against  her  with  the 
sword  of  his  mouth  ;  we  traced  her  in- 
creasing impenitence  and  worldliness, 
until  by  the  irruption  of  the  Arian 
nations,  and  other  scourges  of  the 
Almighty,  this  threatening  also  was  ful- 
filled. In  the  last  epistle,  when  we 
brought  before  you  the  predicted  punish- 
ment of  Popery,  the  bed  of  languishing 
into  which  she  should  be  cast,  we  bore 
witness  to  the  truth  of  God's  word  by 
reminding  you  how  evidently  this  pre- 
diction also  was  even  now  receiving  its 
completion. 

But,  brethren,  here  our  notices  of 
accomplished  prophecy  must  cease.  We 
now  enter  upon  untrodden  ground.  We 
have  now  arrived  at  that  point  when 
prophecy  is,  if  we  may  so  say,  in  its 
transition  state,  and  when  we  ourselves 
are  forming  the  important  link  between 
predictions  fulfilled,  and  predictions  re- 


LECTURE  VI.  177 

maining  to  be  accomplished  ;  in  fact,  the 
step  between  prophecy  and  history. 
We  may  be,  as  a  nation,  now  standing 
in  that  gap,  where  during  our  backward 
view,  we  have  beheld  generation  after 
generation  remaining  for  a  moment  ex- 
posed to  the  wrath  of  God,  and  then 
falling  prostrate  before  His  avenging  arm. 
"  If,  therefore,  thou  shalt  not  watch," 
says  our  Lord  to  this  church-state  in 
which  our  lot  is  cast,  "I  will  come  on 
thee  as  a  thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know 
what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee,"  Unless 
as  a  nation  we  repent,  unless  we  retrace 
our  steps,  unless  we  acknowledge  God 
more  readily  and  more  devoutly  in 
the  great  council  of  the  realm,  and  are 
willing  by  our  public  acts,  to  make  some 
sacrifices  for  His  sake  and  for  His  glory, 
maintaining  His  Church,  honouring  His 
ever-blessed  Son,  hallowing  His  Sab- 
baths, this  threatening  also  will  be  ful- 
filled, and  England,  who  has  sat  as  a 
queen  among   the   nations,  will   see,  as 


178  LECTURE  VI. 

the  due  reward  of  her  ingratitude,  these 
predicted  judgments  come  upon  her  as  a 
thief,  and  her  rehgious  privileges,  her 
highest  glories,  trampled  in  the  dust. 

Lastly,  the  promises  with  which  this 
epistle  closes.  "  Thou  hast  a  few  names 
even  in  Sardis,  which  have  not  defiled 
their  garments ;  and  they  shall  walk  with 
me  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy." 

In  the  darkest  days  of  Protestantism 
there  have  ever  been,  and  there  shall 
always  be,  some  who  have  not  "  defiled 
their  garments"  with  the  sins  and  the 
pollutions  of  the  age  in  which  they  live, 
and  like  the  seven  thousand  in  Israel, 
have  never  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal. 
These  are  beautifully  described  in  the 
words  before  us  as  walking  with  the 
Lord,  "  in  white,"  to  mark  the  degree 
of  moral  purity,  of  cleanness  of  heart 
and  thought  and  motive  and  desire  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  expects,  and  of 
that  sanctification  which  He  works  in 
all    His    redeemed    people.       If   then, 


LECTURE  VI.  179 

brethren,  you  are  hoping  to  enjoy  the 
promises  attached  to  this  church-state, 
the  question  you  must  ask  yourselves  is 
Have  I  been  enabled,  clothed  in  the 
righteousness  of  my  Redeemer,  to  walk 
in  the  white  robes  of  grace  and  purity 
and  holiness  and  religious  consistency, 
during  the  engagements  and  duties  of 
every  day,  and  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
able  to  say  of  me,  "  They  walk  with 
me  in  white,  and  are  worthy  ?"  The 
whitest  robes  in  which  you  could  be  clad 
even  by  grace  itself  would  profit  you 
nothing,  unless  you  were  thus  walking 
with  Christ,  so  entirely  united  to  Him 
by  true  and  living  faith  that  He  is  one 
with  you  and  you  with  Him  ;  so  near  to 
Him,  that  the  folds  of  His  garment  of 
unspotted  whiteness  are  extended  over 
you,  covering  your  deformities,  your 
infirmities,  and  your  sin;  holding  daily 
communion  with  Him,  and  cultivating 
that  spiritual  resemblance  to  Him,  that 
similarity  of  mind  and  spirit  and  temper, 


180  LECTURE  VI. 

which  will  itself  constitute  the  perfection 
of  heaven  ;  for  "  we  shall  be  like  Him," 
says  St.  John,  "  when  we  shall  see  Him 
as  He  is." 

"To  him  that  overcometh,  the  same 
shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment,  and  I 
will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the 
book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his  name 
before  my  Father  and  before  His  angels." 

How  beautifully  does  this  promise, 
which  shall  be  fulfilled  in  heaven,  har- 
monise with  the  promise  which  we  have 
just  described  as  even  now  fulfilling  upon 
earth.  You  shall  never  put  off  the  white 
robe  of  holiness  and  purity,  with  which 
your  Lord  and  Saviour  has  arrayed  you 
here,  until  you  are  called  to  put  on  the 
still  brighter  robe  of  immortality  and 
glory  prepared  for  you  hereafter. 

How  blessed  will  be  the  exchange ! 
You  who  best  know,  by  painful  expe- 
rience, the  practical  difficulties  of  the 
Christian  life,  will  best  estimate  the 
value  of  the   promise;    that   you   shall 


LECTURE  VI.  181 

put  off  those  robes  which,  after  all  your 
efforts  and  all  your  prayers,  never  re- 
main unsullied  for  a  single  day  on  earth, 
and  untorn  by  the  briars  of  the  world 
through  which  you  are  walking,  some 
hasty  word,  some  unholy  temper,  some 
sinful  imagination,  spotting  and  defiling 
them,  some  harassing  event,  or  some 
unworthy  action  tearing  and  disfiguring 
them;  and  that  you  shall  put  on  those 
robes  of  immortality  and  glory  which 
throughout  the  ages  of  eternity  shall 
never  be  discoloured  by  a  single  stain, 
or  injured  by  a  single  rent.  That, 
instead  of  confessing  Christ  before  men, 
always  a  difficult  and  painful  duty, 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  declared, 
"  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father 
and  before  his  angels."  Instead  of  the 
imperfect  services  of  these  earthly  tem- 
ples where  every  prayer  and  every 
praise  carries  up  with  it  to  the  throne 
of  grace  its  sad  accompaniment  of  care- 
lessness, and  weariness,  and  worldliness, 
16 


182  *   LECTURE  VI. 

and  sin,  you  shall  for  ever  unite  your 
voice  "  with  angels  and  archangels  and 
all  the  company  of  heaven  who  laud  and 
magnify  God's  glorious  name,  evermore 
praising  Him  and  saying,  Holy,  Holy, 
Holy,  Lord  God  of  hosts,  heaven  and 
earth  are  full  of  thy  glory,  glory  be  to 
Thee,  O  Lord  Most  High." 


EPISTLE    TO    PHILADELPHIA. 


LECTURE   VII. 

Revelation  iii.  12. 

Hub  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of 
ray  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out. 

In  our  comments  upon  the  last  epistle, 
we  brought  before  you  those  evidences, 
which  we  deemed  sufficient  to  demon- 
strate that  it  was  typical,  and  probably 
prophetical,  of  the  state  of  the  Christian 
Church  at  the  present  day.  We  also 
added,  that  we  had  reason  to  believe 
that  the  period  in  which  our  lot  is  cast, 
is  the  last  church-state  previous  to  the 
great  spiritual  change,  of  which  the 
prophets  have  so  frequently  spoken ; 
16* 


1«6  LECTURE  VII. 

that  glorious  period,  when  the  true 
Church  of  Christ  shall  have  so  lengthened 
her  cords  and  strengthened  her  stakes, 
that  she  shall  extend  the  shadow  of  her 
tabernacle  throughout  the  inhabited  por- 
tions of  the  globe  on  which  we  live. 
These  prophecies  are  by  many  so  Httle 
thought  of,  and  so  little  known,  that, 
confining  ourselves  to  the  language  of 
Scripture,  we  shall,  before  commencing 
the  epistle  upon  which  we  are  to  com- 
ment this  morning,  consider  a  few  of 
these  remarkable  declarations  of  Jehovah 
upon  the  still  future,  but  certain,  pro- 
spects of  the  Church. 

"It  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last 
days,"  says  the  prophet  Isaiah,  "that 
the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall 
be  established  in  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  shall  be  exalted  above  the 
hills  ;  and  all  nations  shall  flow  unto  it."* 
"  He  shall  have  dominion  from  sea  to 
sea,"  says  David,  speaking  of  our  Lord 

*  Isaiah  ii.  2. 


LECTURE  VII.  187 

and    Saviour   Jesus   Christ,    "and  from 

the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth All 

kings  shall   fall   down    before    Him,   all 

nations  shall  serve  Him All  nations 

shall  call  Him  blessed The  whole 

earth   shall    be  filled   with   his   glory."* 
*'  From  the  rising  of  the  sun,"  says  the 
prophet  Malachi,  "  unto  the  going  down 
of  the  same,  my  name   shall    be   great 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  in  every  place 
incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  name, 
and    a    pure    offering;     for    my    name 
shall  be  great  among  the  heathen,  saith 
the   Lord   of  hosts."t     "  The   kingdom 
and   dominion,"  says  Daniel,  "  and   the 
greatness   of   the    kingdom,   under    the 
whole    heaven,   shall    be   given    to    the 
people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High, 
whose  kingdom  is  an   everlasting  king- 
dom,   and     all    dominion    shall     serve 
Him."J     "  They  shall  beat  their  swords 
into  ploughshares,  and  their  spears  into 

*  Psalm  Ixxii.  8,  &,c.  t  Malachi  i.  11. 

I  Daniel  vii.  27. 


188  LECTURE  VII. 

pruning-hooks ;  nation  shall  not  lift  up 
sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they 
learn  war  any  more."^  "  The  wolf  shall 
dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard 
shall  lie  down  with  the  kid ;  and  the 
calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  fatling 
together,  and  a  little  child  shall  lead 
them  :  and  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall 
feed ;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down 
together :  and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw 
like  the  ox ;  and  the  sucking  child  shall 
play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the 
weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the 
cockatrice  den ;  they  shall  not  hurt  nor 
destroy  in  all  God's  holy  mountain."t 
While  there  is  yet  another  remarkable 
feature  of  this  blessed  and  glorious 
period,  of  which  the  prophets  tell,  when 
the  Almighty,  remembering  His  cove- 
nant which  He  hath  made  with  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  shall  fulfil  His  many 
times  repeated  promise  that  "  all  Israel 
shall  be  saved,"   that  His  ancient  people, 

*  Isaiah  ii.  4.  t  Ibid.  xi.  6 — 9. 


LECTURE  Vll.  180 

the  Jews,  shall  be  gathered  together, 
one  fold  under  one  Shepherd,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

These  passages  of  Scripture,  then, 
although  no  doubt  highly  allegorical  in 
some  portions,  and  probably  hyperbolical 
in  all,  have  fully  warranted  the  Church 
of  Christ  in  all  ages  to  look  forward 
with  anxiety,  and  prayerfulness,  and  joy, 
to  a  season  such  as  earth  has  never 
witnessed ;  when,  although  sin  will  not 
be  utterly  extirpated,  nor  the  seed  of 
evil-doers  entirely  driven  from  the  face 
of  the  earth,  there  will  be  such  an  ex- 
tension of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  out- 
wardly over  the  surface  of  the  globe, 
and  such  a  deepening  and  strengthening 
of  the  principles  of  His  blessed  religion 
inwardly  in  the  hearts,  and  souls,  and 
affections  of  all  who  call  themselves  by 
His  name,  that  it  will  s-trictly  deserve 
the  name  of  a  world  "  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness :"  a  world  in  which  the 
three  great  idols  which  are  now  receiving 


190  LECTURE  VII. 

the  adoration  of  the  mass  of  mankind, 
"the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust   of  the 
eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,"*  "  the  trinity 
of  the   Gentiles,"    shall   be   cast    down 
from    their   pedestals,  and    "  the    Lord 
alone   shall   be    exalted    in   that   day."t 
Then  shall  true  and  vital  godHness,  and 
the    principles    of    pure   and    undefiled 
religion,  take  the  lead,  in  the  hearts  of 
individuals,  in   the  conduct  of  families, 
in  the  schemes  and  pi  ins  of  politicians, 
in  all  the  acts  and  regulations  of  govern- 
ments, in  short,  in  the  constitution  not  of 
a  single  country,  but  of  the  whole  world. 
We   might   naturally   expect,  that  in 
an  epistle  addressed  to  the  Church  at 
such  a  period,  although  to  us  dark  and 
ambiguous,  as  the  language  of  unfulfilled 
prophecy  must    ever    be,   there    should 
still  exist  a  very  marked   and   decided 
difference,  be  ween  it  and  every  other. 
In  the  epistle  before  us,  we  are  justified 
in  saying   that   this   distinction   will    be 

*  1  John  ii.  16.  t  Isaiah  ii.  11. 


LECTURE  VII.  191 

found.  Throughout  the  whole  of  its 
instructive  verses,  there  is  not  a  syllable 
of  reprehension,  not  a  single  call  to 
repentance,  not  a  word  of  threaten- 
ing or  reproach,  no  predictions  of  suf- 
fering ;  nothing  but  promises  of  honour 
and  guidance,  and  security  and  hap- 
piness, temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal. 
When  our  Lord  was  about  to  speak 
of  a  church-state  differing  so  widely 
from  all  that  had  gone  before,  and  there- 
fore its  probability  no  doubt  liable  to 
be  called  in  question,  by  many  who 
should  read  the  words  of  this  prophecy, 
it  was  essential  to  impress  those  to 
whom  the  epistle  was  sent,  with  the 
recollection  of  the  unquestionable  vera- 
city of  Him  who  spake.  Observe,  then, 
as  in  the  former  cases,  here  also  the 
great  and  striking  propriety  of  the 
preface ;  "  To  the  angel  of  the  Church 
in  Philadelphia  write,  these  things  saith 
He  that  is  holy.  He  that  is  true."*     Our 

•  Revelation  iii.  7. 


192  LECTURE  VII. 

Lord  here  describes  himself  as  pos- 
sessing two  of  the  great  attributes  of 
the  eternal  Godhead,  perfect  holiness  and 
perfect  truth ;  that  therefore  not  one 
jot  or  one  tittle  of  His  word  should  pass 
away,  until  all  were  fulfilled.  Again, 
He  is  about  to  speak,  in  the  words  of 
this  epistle,  of  that  most  remarkable  of 
all  the  promises  of  God,  viz.  the  recall 
and  the  conversion  of  His  ancient  people 
the  Jews.  Of  what  portion,  then,  of 
His  prerogative  as  Mediator  could  our 
Lord  more  properly  remind  His  people 
than  of  that  to  which  He  refers,  when 
He  thus  continues,  "He  that  hath  the 
key  of  David,  He  that  openeth  and  no 
man  shutteth,  and  shutteth  and  no  man 
openeth." 

This  remarkable  expression,  "the 
key  of  David,"  occurs  only  in  one  other 
place  in  the  scriptures  of  God,  and  that 
is  in  the  22d  chapter  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah  ;  the  manner  in  which  it  is  made 
use  of  there,  will  tend  very   materially 


LECTURE  VII.  193 

to  explain  the  cause  and  intention  of 
its  adoption  in  the  passage  we  are  con- 
sidering. The  Almighty  is  declaring 
that  he  will  bestow  upon  Eliakim,  the 
son  of  Hilkiah,  the  government  of  Je- 
rusalem, and  He  says,  "He  shall  be  a 
father  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem, 
and  to  the  house  of  Judah,  and  the  key 
of  the  house  of  David  will  I  lay  upon 
his  shoulder ;  so  he  shall  open  and  none 
shall  shut,  and  he  shall  shut  and  none 
shall  open."  There  is  so  remarkable  a 
similarity  between  the  two  passages,  that 
it  is  quite  impossible  to  suppose  for  a 
moment  that  it  could  be  accidental.  Com- 
mentators conclude,  therefore,  that  our 
Lord  intended  to  convey  the  same  impres- 
sion by  this  description  of  Himself  in  the 
epistle  before  us,  as  is  conveyed  by  the 
declaration  in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah, 
viz :  that  the  person  spoken  of  should 
be  "  a  father  to  the  inhabitants  of  Je- 
rusalem, and  to  the  house  of  Judah ;" 
while,  by  possessing  "  the  key  of  David," 
17 


194  LECTURE  VII. 

he  should  have  access  to  the  locked-up 
hearts  of  that  stubborn  people,  (over 
whom  David  once  was  ruler,)  which  he 
should  be  able  to  open,  though  men 
cannot,  and  which  he  should  so  open 
that  none  should  thereafter  ever  close 
them.  Surely  it  is  impossible  to  imagine 
any  portion  of  the  mediatorial  character 
of  our  Lord  more  appropriate  for  the 
consideration  of  the  Church  at  this 
period,  or  more  encouraging  to  His 
ancient  people,  the  Jews,  than  the  pe- 
culiar power  and  kindness  of  the  Saviour 
towards  the  house  of  Israel,  of  which 
they  are  thus  strikingly  reminded. 

We  proceed  to  the  contents  of  the 
epistle  itself 

"  I  know  thy  works,"  says  our  Lord  ; 
for  this  is  the  manner  in  which,  without 
a  single  exception,  all  the  seven  epistles 
commence.  "  Behold,  I  have  set  before 
thee  an  open  door,  and  no  man  can 
shut  it."  Beautiful  allusion  to  that  great 
outpouring   of  the   Spirit,  to  which   we 


LECTURE  VII.  196 

have  referred,  when  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  the  love  of  Christ,  and  the 
extension  of  His  blessed  kingdom,  and 
the  wide  and  deep  diffusion  of  Christian 
principles,  shall  reign  throughout  the 
world. 

How  did  the  Christians  in  the  apos- 
tolical age  long  and  pray  for  blessings 
such  as  these !  Even  then  the  door 
had  been  unlocked,  and  partially  set 
open,  and  some  few  straggling  companies, 
from  "  every  nation  under  heaven,"  as 
the  apostle  declares,  were  admitted 
through  it.  From  that  age,  even  until 
the  present,  we  may  say  with  truth  and 
gratitude,  that  the  door,  which  the  Spirit 
of  God  then  opened,  has  stood  immov- 
ably ajar.  All  the  opposing  pressure 
of  infidelity,  and  worldliness,  and  oppo- 
sition to  divine  truth,  has  for  eighteen 
centuries  been  unable,  by  its  utmost 
efforts,  to  shut  that  door;  but  then, 
alas  !  all  the  prayers,  and  all  the  labours, 
and   all   the   tears   and   cries,  of  God's 


196  LECTURE  VII. 

redeemed  people,  have  availed  but  little, 
nay,  almost  nothing,  in  forcing  it  still 
further  open.  True  it  is,  and  blessed 
be  God  for  his  mercy,  that  the  work 
of  salvation  has  been  continually  carrying 
on.  Souls  are  brought  to  Christ,  but 
alas !  slowly  and  singly,  one  of  a  city, 
two  of  a  family,  at  long  and  distant 
intervals  ;  and  many  are  the  labours  and 
prayers  and  exhortations,  and  many  the 
failures  and  disappointments  and  sorrows, 
of  the  ministers  and  the  people  of  God, 
in  adding  but  one  sheep  to  the  fold  of 
the  Redeemer.  How  dehghtful  to  look 
forward  to  a  second  rising  of  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness,  like  some  traveller  on 
his  midnight  journey,  to  the  first  opening 
of  the  coming  dawn.  How  cheering  to 
the  heart  of  the  Christian,  now  while 
sitting  watchfully  and  prayerfully  beside 
that  partly  opened  door,  so  jealously 
defended  from  within,  so  unceasingly 
pressed  upon  from  without,  and  to  anti- 
cipate the  hour,  when  the  Lord  Jesus 


LECTURE  VII.  197 

Christ,  He  who  "shutteth  and  no  man 
openeth,  and  openeth  and  no  man  wshut- 
teth,"  shall  with  His  own  hand  fling 
wide  that  portal,  and  even  Satan  himself, 
for  a  time  subdued  and  fettered,  shall 
be  unable  to  obstruct  the  entrance  of 
the  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  who 
shall  rush  forward  for  admittance  into 
the  heavenly  temple.  Then  shall  be  ful- 
filled the  glowing  language  of  the  pro- 
phet, "  The  earth  shall  be  made  to  bring 
forth  in  one  day.  A  nation  shall  be  born, 
at  once."*  "  They  gather  themselves 
together,  they  come  to  thee."t  "  They 
shall  come  up  with  acceptance  on  mine 
altar,  and  I  will  glorify  the  house  of 
my  gloryc"J  "  Thy  gates  shall  be  open 
continually,  they  shall  not  be  shut  day 
nor  night,  that  men  may  bring  unto  thee 
the  forces  of  the  Gentiles,  and  that 
their  kings  may  be  brought."§  While 
so   thickly  shall   the   heirs   of  salvation 

»  Isaiah  Ixvi.  8.  t  Ibid.  xlix.  18. 

t  Ibid.  k.  7.  §  Ibid  Ix.  U. 

17* 


198  LECTURE  VII. 

press  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  so 
anxiously  shall  they  hasten  to  this  open 
door,  that  the  prophet  Isaiah  is  repre- 
sented as  asking  in  astonishment  at  their 
numbers  without  number,  "  Who  are 
these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves 
to  their  w^indows  ?"* 

How  impossible  is  it  for  the  Christian, 
who  really  loves  his  Lord,  and  who  feels 
compassion  for  the  souls  of  his  fellow- 
sinners,  to  think  of  such  a  blessed,  such 
a  heart-encouraging  prospect,  without  ex- 
periencing within  him  a  well-spring  of 
joy,  which  nothing  earthly  can  impart. 
Surely  even  the  angels  themselves,  if 
they  rejoice  over  the  one  sinner  that 
repenteth,  must  day  by  day,  amidst  the 
brightest  harmonies  of  their  golden  harps, 
while  looking  forward  to  this  glorious 
consummation,  be  for  ever  reiterating 
the  inquiry,  in  one  continual  chorus, 
"  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true, 
bow  long,  O  Lord,  how  long  ?"t 

*  Isaiah  Ix,  8.  f  Rev.  vi.  10. 


LECTURE  VII.  199 

We  are  not  surprised  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  himself,  to  whom  the  spi- 
ritual strength  of  the  holiest  man,  yea 
of  all  the  holiest  men  who  have  ever 
lived,  can  be  but  as  the  child's  feebleness 
in  the  apprehension  of  a  giant,  could 
acknowledge  of  so  glorious  a  church-state 
as  this,  "  Thou  hast  a  little  strength,  and 
hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied 
my  name."* 

To  the  true  Christian  this  is  perhaps 
the  most  blessed  portion  of  the  prophecy. 
It  is  much  to  hear  that  "  none  shall  hurt 
or  destroy  in  all  God's  holy  mountain." 
It  is  much  to  be  told  that  the  name  of 
God  shall  be  known,  and  loved,  and  re- 
joiced in,  "  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from 
shore  to  shore;"  but  it  is  infinitely 
more  to  know  that  all  shall  keep  His 
word,  and  that  none  shall  deny  His 
name.  We  are  aware,  that  the  careless, 
the  disobedient,  the  inconsistent,  the 
nominal   Christian,  cannot  be   expected 

*  Revelation  iii.8. 


200  LECTURE  VII. 

to  enter  into  feelings  such  as  these ; 
but  if  there  be  any  among  us  who  ex- 
perience with  deep  regret  the  remains 
of  an  old  and  corrupted  nature,  the  body 
of  sin  and  death  still  hanging  about  them, 
impeding  their  every  holy  effort,  clogging 
with  imperfection  and  with  sin  their  purest 
thoughts,  their  most  ardent  endeavours, 
their  most  faithful  prayers,  they  will  fully 
appreciate  the  unspeakable  blessings  of 
a  state  in  which  these  enemies  shall  no 
longer  assail  the  followers  of  God,  or 
if  assailing,  shall  assuredly  be  overcome. 
If  earth  can  ever  resemble  heaven,  it 
will  be  then,  when  by  the  universal 
prevalence  of  Christian  principles,  Christ 
shall  take  unto  Him  His  great  power 
and  reign;  and  when  to  do  His  will, 
to  confess  His  name,  to  rejoice  in  His 
salvation,  shall  supersede  all  the  pleasures 
of  sense  all  the  day  dreams  of  ambition, 
all  the  fading  glories  of  the  world. 

But   there   is   yet    another   important 
portion  of  the  prophecy  to  be  considered, 


LECTURE  VII.  201 

"  Behold,  I  will  make  them  of  the  syna- 
gogue of  Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews, 
and  are  not,  but  do  lie ;  behold,  I  will 
make  them  to  come  and  worship  before 
thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved 
thee."  In  these  words  we  have  a  dis- 
tinct reference  to  the  state  of  the  children 
of  Israel  at  the  commencement  of  this 
period  of  the  spiritual  reign  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  He  says, 
they  are  "  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan," 
"calling  themselves  Jews,  and  yet  are 
not."  It  would  probably  be  difficult  to 
find  any  description  of  this  degraded  and 
outcast  people,  as  they  exist  at  present, 
more  perfectly  in  agreement  with  the 
strictest  truth  than  these  words.  Painful 
as  it  is  to  confess  it,  we  have  the  tes- 
timony of  all  travellers  who  have  inquired 
into  the  state  of  the  Jews  in  the  different 
countries  of  the  world,  over  which  they 
have  now  been  for  so  many  centuries 
scattered,  yet  with  which  never  inter- 
mingled,  that   they   are   Israelites   only 


202  LECTURE  VII. 

by  extraction  and  by  name,  without  a 
temple,  without  sacrifices,  without  there- 
fore a  shadow  of  acceptable  worship; 
for  their  own  law  has  declared,  that 
"without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no 
remission  of  sin  ;"^  and  they,  while  per- 
severing in  denying  the  efficacy  of  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  bring  no 
blood  of  sprinkling  as  their  law  com- 
mands, to  purify  their  defilements,  and 
are  therefore  living  in  the  open,  constant 
neglect  of  all  that,  according  even  to 
their  own  views,  is  necessary  for  their 
own  acceptance  before  God.  While  the 
majority  of  them,  we  fear,  have  as  little 
respect  for  Moses  as  for  Christ,  and 
live  as  completely  in  defiance  of  the 
law,  as  they  do  in  disbelief  of  the  gospel. 
How  could  they  have  been  more  accu- 
rately described  by  the  language  of 
prophecy,  than  they  are  in  the  passage 
before  us,  as  those  "  who  say  they  are 
Jews,  and  are  not  ?" 

*  Hebrews  ix.  22. 


LECTURE  VII.  203 

.  Of  these,  then,  viz.  of  all  the  children 
of  Israel,  however  blind  and  ignorant, 
the  time  shall  come  when  the  word  of 
God,  and  the  power  of  God,  shall  reach 
their  hard  and  stubborn  hearts,  and  the 
whole  tenor  of  God's  word  upon  this 
interesting  subject  shall  be  fully  borne 
out,  by  their  conversion  as  a  people  to 
the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  their  admittance  to  the  worship  of 
the  true  Church  of  the  Redeemer,  when 
the  "  fulness  of  the  Gentiles"  being 
come  in,  as  in  that  church-state  of  which 
we  are  speaking,  the  Jewish  Church 
shall  learn  the  gospel  at  the  feet  of  the 
Christian  Church,  as  St.  Paul  of  old, 
at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  and  worship 
with  her,  and  know  what  eighteen  cen- 
turies have  not  yet  taught  them,  the 
love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  for  all  the 
families  of  the  earth ;  and  that  great 
New  Testament  truth,  that  "  there  is" 
now  "  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  neither 
bond  nor  free,  there  is  neither  male  nor 


204  LECTURE  VII. 

female,  for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus  ; 
and  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  ye  are  Abra- 
ham's seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the 
promise."^ 

The  epistle  then  continues,  "  Because 
thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience," 
i.  e.  the  gospel  of  Christ,  "I  also  will 
keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation," 
or  trial,  "  which  shall  come  upon  all  the 
world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth.  Behold,  I  come  quickly;  hold 
that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man 
take  thy  crown." 

The  hour  of  trial,  from  which  the 
Lord  here  promises  that  He  will  keep 
His  people,  is  that  season  which  shall 
succeed  the  period  of  which  we  have 
now  been  speaking,  and  upon  which,  as 
a  more  especial  reference  will  be  made 
to  it  in  the  next  discourse,  it  will  be 
unnecessary  now  to  dwell. 

The  only  sentence  of  advice  to  be 
found   throughout   this  whole   epistle,  is 

*  Galatians  iii.  28. 


LECTURE  VII.  ,  205 

conveyed  in  the  single  recommendation, 
"  Hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast."*  They 
were  not  counselled  to  obtain  more,  they 
were  not  directed,  as  we  are,  to  be  seek- 
ing, as  a  church,  for  larger  supplies  of 
knowledge,  and  grace,  and  love.  In  that 
blessed  state,  it  will  be  enough  to  hold 
fast  what  they  have,  so  universally  will 
holy  principles,  and  spiritual  knowledge, 
and  ardent  zeal,  and  devotedness  of  life 
and  heart,  be  diffused  throughout  the 
whole  body  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Surely  to  those  who  are  privileged  to 
see  that  day,  there  will  be  nothing  even 
in  heaven  itself,  except  the  personal 
presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which 
can  make  it  preferable  to  that  earth  in 
which 

"  His  name  shall  sound  from  shore  to  shore, 
Till  suns  shall  rise  and  set  no  more." 

We  conclude  with  the  promise  with 
which  the  epistle  finishes,  "  Him  that 
overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the 

*  Revelation  iii,  11. 

18 


206  LECTURE  VII. 

temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no 
more  out;  and  I  will  write  upon  him 
the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of 
the  city  of  my  God,  which  is  new  Jeru- 
salem, which  Cometh  out  of  heaven  from 
my  God,  and  I  will  write  upon  him  my 
new  name." 

We  are  told  that  it  was  not  uncommon 
among  the  heathen  nations  of  antiquity 
to  erect  monumental  pillars  within  the 
temples  of  their  gods,  and  to  inscribe 
on  these  columns  the  most  important 
circumstances  in  the  life  of  the  de- 
ceased ; — for  instance,  the  name  of  th€ 
particular  deity  under  whose  auspices 
he  had  placed  himself,  the  name  of  the 
city  of  which  he  was  enrolled  a  citizen, 
and  the  name  of  the  general  under 
whose  command  he  had  fought,  and 
bled,  and  conquered.  There  is  then, 
probably,  an  allusion  to  this  striking 
custom,  in  the  gracious  promise  of  our 
Lord  to  the  Christian  conqueror.  On 
the  day  when  his  earthly  warfare  shall 


LECTURE  VII.  207 

have  finished,  he  shall  be  removed  into 
the  heavenly  temple,  even  into  the  heaven 
of  heavens  itself,  and  shall  become  a 
perpetual  trophy,  a  glorious  monument 
of  the  victory  of  his  redeeming  Leader. 
He  shall  baar  the  name  of  his  God, 
under  whose  auspices  he  has  contended, 
even  the  Lord  Jehovah ;  the  name  of 
the  city,  among  whose  holy  and  happy 
inmates  he  shall  be  for  ever  enrolled, 
even  that  "  city  which  hath  foundations, 
whose  builder  and  maker  is  God.""^ 
Above  all,  shall  be  written  upon  him 
the  name,  "  the  new  name,"  of  Him 
under  whom  he  has  fought  the  good 
fight,  and  kept  the  faith,  and  received 
the  crown,  "  even  my  new  name,"  says 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Redeemer,  Sa- 
viour, Mediator,  Intercessor,  for  these 
were  all  new  names,  obtained  on  Calvary 
by  Him  who  had  been  from  all  eternity 
"  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords." 
My   brethren,   when   heaven   and   earth 

*  Hebrews  xi.  10. 


208  LECTURE  VII. 

shall  pass  away,  when  all  that  hath  been 
is  no  more,  these  living  pillars  in  the 
temple  of  their  God  shall  stand  un- 
changed and  unchangeable,  everlasting 
monuments  of  the  love  of  the  Creator, 
Redeemer,  Sanctifier,  and  of  the  hap- 
piness of  His  redeemed  people,  "  for  they 
shall  go  no  more  out  for  ever." 

This  is  the  peculiarity  which  renders 
the  promise  before  us  so  unspeakably 
valuable,  the  perpetuity  of  the  blessings 
which  it  contains.  If  it  declared  to  you 
that  you  should  be  admitted  to  the  joys 
of  the  heavenly  temple  for  any  limited 
period,  however  long,  there  could  be 
no  perfect  happiness:  the  thought  that 
every  day  brought  you  nearer  to  the 
close ;  the  conviction  that,  however  dis- 
tant, that  closing  hour  must  come  ;  the 
tremendous  reflection  of  what  should  be, 
if  we  may  say  so,  beyond  the  end, 
would  mar  even  the  happiness  of  the 
heavenly  temple,  and  make  you  wretched 
there.      How  blessed,  then,  is  the  assu- 


LECTURE  VII.  209 

ranee,  that  when  once  removed  into  that 
bHssful  abode,  you  shall  go  no  more  out. 
There  are  many  among  you,  and  we 
thank  God  that  we  may  beheve  an  in- 
creasing number,  who  know  something 
of  the  privileges  of  the  Christian's  life 
on  earth,  something  of  communion  with 
God,  and  of  the  joys  of  spiritual  fellow- 
ship with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  But 
how  miserably  defective  are  those  joys, 
and  how  imperfect  that  communion,  none 
but  yourselves  can  tell.  The  more  high 
and  holy  your  duties,  the  more  speedily 
do  they  weary  you,  and  convince  you 
day  by  day,  that  yours  is,  indeed,  a  fallen, 
corrupted  nature,  and  that  there  is  a 
great  gulf  fixed  between  the  holiest 
worshipper  upon  earth,  and  the  lowest 
door-keeper  in  the  house  of  our  God 
in  heaven.  It  is,  then,  a  delightful  and 
most  profitable  anticipation  to  look  for- 
ward to  the  full  and  complete  accom- 
plishment of  the  promise  before  us,  when 
"  time  shall  be  no  longer,"  when,  his  great 
18* 


210  LECTURE  VII. 

work  finished,  his  long  and  weary  flight 
concluded,  he  shall  fold  up  his  wings  for 
ever,  and  drop  into  the  ocean  of  eternity. 
Think,   then,   we   beseech   you,  what 
and  where  shall  you  then  be  ?    In  a  state 
unalterably   fixed,   once    and    for    ever. 
This  is  certain;   would  to  God  it  were 
equally   certain,   that  we  might  answer 
for  each  and  for  all  of  us,  inheriting  the 
promise   of   the    text,   "  Pillars    in    the 
temple  of  our  God,  who  shall  go  no  more 
out."       How     overwhelming,    yet     how 
blissful   is   the   thought;    the   unclouded 
presence  of  God,  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy    Ghost,    whose    "  name    is    love," 
shining  upon  us  throughout  the  unnum- 
bered ages  of  eternity  :  a  worship  which 
shall  never  weary,  a  service  which  shall 
never  fatigue,  pleasures  that  cannot  fade, 
all  infinite  in  extent,  eternal  in  duration, 
knowing  no  change,  suffering  no  diminu- 
tion, having  no  end. 

May  this   solemn  reflection,   and   the 
anticipation    of   such    a    state,    so    un- 


LECTURE  VIL  211 

utterably   happy,    rest    upon   our    souls, 
and  shed  a  hallowing  influence  upon  us, 
winning   us   if  it   may   be,   even    for   a 
Sabbath  hour,  from  earth,  and  drawing 
us  nearer   heaven.     Well  calculated    is 
it  to  produce  this  effect,  well  calculated 
to  induce  us  devoutly  to  attend  to  those 
peculiarly  solemn  and  soul-affecting  ser- 
vices of  the  week  upon  which  we  have 
this  day  entered,*  which  have  been  so 
wisely  appointed  by  our  apostolical  Church 
to  prepare  the  minds  of  her  people  for 
the    most    awful    anniversaries    of    the 
Christian  year, — the  Crucifixion,  and  the 
Resurrection  of  our  Lord   and  Saviour 
Jesus   Christ.     Let   us   not,  by  our  ne- 
glect of  these  daily  services,  demonstrate 
that  our  religious  feelings  are  experienced 
only  on  the  Sunday,  but  let   us   prove, 
by   our  regular  and  serious  attendance 
at  these  truly  impressive  and  profitable 
preparations,   that    we    are  anxious,   by 
the  aid  of  God's  good  Spirit,  to  bring 

*  Passion  Week. 


212  LECTURE  VII. 

our  hearts  and  affections,  our  thoughts 
and  feehngs,  into  some  httle  unison  with 
those  high  themes  which  will  engage  us 
on  the  days  to  which  we  have  alluded, 
and  which  will  doubtless  be  among  the 
mysteries,  the  developement  of  which  will 
delight  our  minds  and  gladden  our  hearts, 
when  the  period  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking  shall  arrive,  and  we  shall  reside 
for  ever  in  the  temple  of  our  God. 


EPISTLE    TO    LAODICEA. 


LECTURE  VIII. 

Revelation  iii.  20. 

Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock :  if  any  man  hear 
my  voice  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
will  sup  with  him,  and  he  v/ith  me. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  last  por- 
tion of  that  connected  and  interesting 
series  of  history  and  prophecy,  through 
which  we  have  been  travelHng.  We 
have  traced  the  progress  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  from  the  days  of  her 
infancy,  when  her  few,  but  eminently 
holy  and  devoted  members,  were  con- 
tained within  one  house  of  prayer,  and 
covered  by  a  single  roof.  We  have 
beheld     her     gradually     enlarging     her 


216  LECTURE  VIII. 

boundaries,  until  her  temples  were  seen 
springing  up  in  all  lands,  and  the 
voices  of  prayer  and  praise  were  heard 
throughout  the  habitations  of  men. 
These  were  the  days  of  her  maturity  ; 
while  deeply  interesting  was  that  picture 
of  her  riper  years,  of  holy  energy  and 
fervent  devotion,  with  which  the  last 
epistle  presented  us. 

Happy  should  we  feel,  if  the  closing 
scene,  which  we  are  now  approaching, 
had  been  equally  brilliant.  All  reve- 
lation, however,  tends  to  prevent  any 
such  expectation ;  and  the  epistle  be- 
fore u^,  addressed  as  it  obviou  ly  is, 
to  a  decaying  church,  is  in  full  ac- 
cordance with  every  other  portion  of 
the  word  of  God.  It  is  indeed  de- 
scriptive of  the  feeble  and  futile  efforts 
of  a  decrepid  old  age  ;  of  that  church- 
state  to  which  our  Lord  particularly 
alludes,  when  he  says,  "The  love  of 
many  shall  wax  cold ;"  of  that  period, 
to  which   he  so   expressly   refers,  when 


LECTURE  VIII.  217 

he  predicts,  "  As  it  was  in  the  days 
of  Noe,  so  shall  it  be  also  in  the 
days  of  the  Son  of  man  ;"^  "  likewise 
also  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Lot ;  they 
did  eat,  they  drank,  they  bought,  they 
sold,  they  planted,  they  builded  ;"  "  even 
thus  shall  it  be  in  the  day  when  the  Son 
of  man  is  revealed."t  Evidently  marking 
a  time,  particularly  characterised  by  an 
entire  engrossment  by  the  things  of  the 
world,  a  total  forgetfulness  of  God. 
While,  with  reference  again  to  this  same 
church-state,  our  Lord  emphatically  in- 
quires, "  When  the  Son  of  man  cometh, 
shall  He  find  faith  on  the  earth  ?":}:  the 
very  inquiry  itself  containing  by  impli- 
cation, the  strongest  negative  reply. 

That  you  may,  however,  still  more 
distinctly  perceive  from  the  unerring 
word  of  God,  that  such  a  state  of 
things  is  to  be  expected  even  after 
that  glorious   period  to   which  the   last 

»  Luke  xvii.  26.  t  Luke  xvii.  30. 

t  Luke  xviii.  8. 

19 


218  LECTURE  VIII. 

discourse  particularly  referred,  we  shall 
read  a   portion  of  the   20th  chapter  of 
Revelation,   w^here   both   these   ages   of 
the   church  are  plainly  alluded  to.     "I 
saw    an    angel,"    says    the    evangelist, 
"come  down  from   heaven,  having   the 
key  of  the  bottomless   pit  and  a  great 
chain   in  his  hand.     And   he  laid    hold 
on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which 
is  the  Devil  and  Satan,  and  bound  him 
a    thousand   years,   and    cast   him    into 
the  bottomless  pit,  and  set  a  seal  upon 
him,  that  he  should  deceive  the  nations 
no  more,  till  the  thousand  years  should 
be   fulfilled ;    and    after    that,   he   must 
be  loosed  a  little  season."*     According 
to  the  highly  figurative  language  of  this 
remarkable  passage  of  Holy  Writ,  we 
apprehend,  that  by  this  chaining  of  Satan, 
is   simply  meant   the   wonderful  abridg- 
ment of  his  power  and  influence  which  will 
be  felt  throughout  the  whole  world,  during 
what  may   be   denominated   the   Phila- 

*  Revelation  xx.  1 — 3. 


LECTURE  VIII.  219 

delphian  period.  When  the  Spirit  of 
our  Lord  shall,  as  we  have  seen,  reign 
so  triumphantly  over  the  largest  pro- 
portion of  the  inhabited  globe,  that 
the  love  of  God  and  the  desire  of 
pleasing  Him,  and  of  obeying  His  com- 
mands, shall  take  the  place  of  all  those 
selfish  and  unworthy  motives  which 
now,  for  the  most  part,  regulate  man- 
kind. While  by  the  "little  season," 
during  which  Satan  shall  again  be  un- 
loosed, we  feel  assured,  is  intended 
the  period  marked  by  the  present 
epistle,  as  one  of  gross  departure  from 
the  laws,  and  great  forgetfulness  of 
the  worship  of  the  Lord  our  God. 
The  same  prophecy  is  repeated  in 
the  same  chapter,  where  it  is  de- 
clared that  "  When  the  thousand  years 
are  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed 
out  of  his  prison,  and  shall  go  out  to 
deceive  the  nations,  which  are  in  the 
four  quarters  of  the  earth."* 

*  Revelation  xx.  7,  8. 


220  LECTURE  VII  r. 

This,  then,  is  the  period  spoken  of 
in  the  epistle  before  us,  when  Satan 
with  renewed  power,  and  doubtless 
with  animosity  and  hatred  tenfold  mul- 
tiplied by  his  long  enchainment,  shall 
once  more  be  liberated  to  walk  to  and 
fro  on  the  earth,  and  to  "deceive  the 
nations."  And  this  shall  be  the  con- 
clusion of  all  things  temporal.  For 
the  evangelist  immediately  adds,  speak- 
ing of  the  time  when  this  little  sea- 
son of  impiety  and  ungodliness  shall  be 
over,  "  I  saw  a  great  white  throne, 
and  Him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose 
face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away ; 
and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them. 
And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great, 
stand  before  God;  and  the  books  were 
opened  ;  .  .  .  .  and  the  dead  were  judged 
out  of  those  things  which  were  written 
in  the  books,  according  to  their  works."* 

The    epistle    before     us    commences 
thus,  "  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church 

•Revelation  xx.  11,12. 


LECTURE  VIII.  221 

of  the  Laodiceans,  write ;  These  things, 
saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true 
Witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation 
of  God."*  "These  things,  saith  the 
Amen."  He  who  addressed  his  church 
at  the  very  commencement  of  its  ex- 
istence, has  overlooked  it  with  a  pa- 
rent's eye,  during  every  successive 
age;  and  here,  in  the  winding  up  o^ 
the  roll  of  prophecy,  is  about  to  utter 
His  parting  benediction.  He  is  now 
to  set  His  seal  to  all  that  has  gone 
before,  and  by  assuming  this  title, 
appears  to  indicate  that  it  is  "the  last 
time ;"  that  "  the  things  concerning  it 
have  an  end ;"  and  that  He  who  is 
foreteUing  them,  is  the  Amen,  who 
will  be  there  to  witness  and  to  pro- 
nounce its  doom.  Again,  in  this 
epistle,  our  Lord  is  about  to  testify 
of  the  remarkable  deadness  and  cold- 
ness of  the  period  of  which  he  speaks, 
and  well  knowing  the  opposition  of  the 

*  Revelation  iii.  13,  14. 

19* 


^22  LECTURE  VIII. 

human  heart  to  every  statement  which 
tends  to  lower  its  imaginary  dignity, 
to  affront  its  pride,  or  to  convict  it 
of  unholiness,  and  sin,  He  reminds 
this  church-state,  that  however  pain- 
ful to  its  feelings  His  assertions 
may  prove.  He  is  still  a  "  faithful  and 
true  witness,"  adding  nothing,  diminish- 
ing nothing,  but  simply  stating  the 
fact  of  its  apostacy  and  lukewarmness, 
with  the  unshrinking  fidelity  of  an 
upright  witness,  when  examined  upon 
oath  before  a  court  of  human  judi- 
cature. While  in  declaring  Himself 
the  "  beginning,"  or  the  originator  "  of 
the  creation  of  God,"  our  Lord  ap- 
pears not  only  to  assert  His  acknow- 
ledged right  to  a  co-equality  with  the 
Father,  and  to  remind  the  Church  of 
that  declaration  of  Holy  Writ,  that 
"  by  Him  were  all  things  made,  and 
without  Him  was  not  any  thing  made 
that  was  made  ;"  but  also  to  throw  out, 
as    it    appears,    a    hope   to   the    mem- 


LECTURE  VIII.  223 

bers  of  the  Christian  Church,  at  this 
period,  that  if  they  felt  convinced  that 
they  were  indeed  "dead  in  trespasses 
and  sin,"  there  was  One,  who  as  the 
beginner  of  all  spiritual  creation,  as  well 
as  natural,  was  ready  to  hear  their  prayer, 
to  listen  to  their  cry,  to  take  compassion 
upon  their  helplessness,  and  to  originate 
the  seed  of  divine  grace  within  their 
hearts. 

Having  commenced  with  this  preface 
so  descriptive  of  Himself,  our  Lord  thus 
opens  the  epistle.  "  I  know  thy  works, 
that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot;  I 
would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot.  So  then 
because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither 
cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my 
mouth.'"* 

You  have  often  read  of  God's  threat- 
enings  against  the  open  sinner,  of  His 
curse  which  follows  the  profligate,  of  His 
eternal  condemnation  which  awaits  the 
ultimately  hardened,  impenitent  and  un- 

•  Revelation  iii.  15,  16. 


224  LECTURE  VIII. 

believing,  but,  if  you  review  them  all, 
even  the  strongest  and  most  appalling, 
there  is  not  one  which  conveys  such  an 
idea  of  absolute  loathing  and  disgust,  as 
the  sentence  here  pronounced  against  the 
lukewarm  and  indifferent.  It  is  as  if, 
while  God  most  dearly  loved  the  zealous 
Christian,  and  would  comparatively  bear, 
for  a  time  at  least,  with  the  open  sinner, 
yet,  rather  than  tolerate  for  a  single 
moment,  these  wretched  men,  who  cared 
just  enough  about  religion  to  adopt  it  as 
a  name,  but  never  in  any  one  transaction 
of  their  lives,  to  be  really  impressed  by 
its  threatenings,  or  influenced  by  its 
promises,  or  directed  by  its  requirements, 
God  should  cast  them  forth,  with  every 
mark  of  loathing  and  disgust  at  their 
trifling  and  lukewarmness  in  a  work  at 
the  very  thoughts  of  which  the  highest 
archangels  stand  amazed.  So  that  our 
Lord  does  not  scruple  to  say,  "  I  would 
thou  wert  cold,  or  hot ;"  I  would  thou 
wert  something  decided,  even  if  it  were 


LECTURE  VIII.  225 

in  opposition  and  enmity,  something  less 
contemptible,  than  the  poor,  paltry,  luke- 
warm, half-hearted  followers  which  I  have 
found  you. 

How  different  is  the  judgment  of 
God  from  the  judgment  of  the  world. 
With  regard  to  religion  the  world  has 
but  one  fear  respecting  those  it  loves, 
and  that  is,  lest  they  become  too  zealous, 
too  much  in  earnest,  too  devoted,  to  the 
care  of  their  souls,  and  the  service  of 
their  God.  While  God  also  has  but  one 
fear  respecting  those  whom  He  honours 
with  His  love,  but  that  is  precisely  the 
reverse ;  it  is  lest  they  remain  too  cold, 
too  indifferent,  too  little  devoted  to  the 
work  to  which  he  calls  them.  Here, 
then,  are  at  once  two  grand  antagonist 
principles  for  ever  influencing  the  hearts 
of  men ;  one  always  holding  them  back, 
by  the  fear  of  the  world's  censure,  by 
the  dread  of  its  laugh,  by  the  risk  of  its 
good  opinion ;  the  other  as  invariably 
propelling  them  forward,  by  the  commands 


226  LECTURE  VIII. 

of  God,  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  by  the 
influences  of  God's  good  Spirit.  Brethren, 
you  who  are  lukewarm  Christians,  stand 
for  ever  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  these 
two  opposing  principles;  to-day  you  are 
brought  under  the  power  of  God's  word, 
you  are  led  for  a  moment  to  remember 
that  you  have  a  soul,  that  there  is  a 
coming  judgment,  that  there  is  an  eternity 
awaiting  you,  and  that  accordingly  as 
that  soul  has  been  tended  upon  earth, 
shall  that  eternity  be  passed.  Now  these 
are  stern  realities,  you  feel  them  to  be 
so  while  you  hear  of  them,  you  cannot 
put  them  instantly  aside,  you  cannot 
reason  them  away,  you  cannot  laugh  them 
away.  You  may  attempt  it,  but  they 
defy  the  sneer  and  scoffs  of  man ;  we 
do  not  say,  they  cannot  be  ridiculed ;  but 
we  do  say,  they  cannot  be  made  ridiculous. 
They  are  truths,  plain,  simple,  heart- 
searching  truths,  you  know  them  to  be 
so,  and  while  you  listen  to  them,  you, 
some  at  least  among  you,  resolve  that 


LECTURE  VIII.  227 

now  at  last,  you  will  begin  in  earnest ; 
that  you  will  really  live  like  one  who 
has  to  die,  that  long  as  you  have  turned 
a  cold  and  indifferent  ear  to  these  things, 
you  will  now  give  them  at  least  a 
fair  hearing,  and  if  convinced,  allow 
them  the  prominency  they  deserve  in 
your  actions,  your  motives,  your  heart, 
your  life. 

But  then  to-morrow  comes,  and  you 
mingle  with  the  world  again,  and  you 
are  immersed  in  its  business,  or  sur- 
rounded by  its  pleasures,  and  like  our 
first  parents,  while  you  look  upon  the 
forbidden  fruit,  you  see  that  it  is  good 
for  food  and  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and 
you  cannot  long  resist  it;  old  habits, 
though  for  a  moment  checked,  are  not 
destroyed,  nay  not  even  weakened,  they 
spring  up  again  with  redoubled  energy 
from  their  compression,  and  before  an- 
other day  has  passed,  the  effects  of 
yesterday  are  over  ;  you  still  think  re- 
ligion a  good  thing  in  its  place,  but  then 


228  LECTURE  VIII. 

the  place  which  you  assign  to  it,  is  widely 
different  from  that  which  God  assigns 
it;  you  do  not  indeed  desire  to  be  ab- 
solutely cold,  but  you  are  even  more 
afraid  of  being  hot,  you  wonder  that  you 
ever  felt  so  strongly,  or  resolved,  as 
you  now  think,  so  weakly  and  absurdly  ; 
you  attribute  it  to  the  excitement  of  the 
moment,  from  which,  thank  God,  you 
are  now  delivered ;  and  having  thus 
reasoned  away,  or  trifled  away,  your 
new  born  zeal,  you  remain  the  lukewarm 
Christian  still. 

Brethren,  do  you  imagine  this  to  be 
a  very  rare  or  remarkable  character, 
one  of  a  thousand  ?  So  far  from  it 
that  we  believe  it  to  be  the  most 
common,  most  prevailing  characteristic 
of  the  days  in  which  we  live  !  we  have 
no  doubt  that  there  are  hundreds  around 
us,  probably  some  even  in  this  congre- 
gation, who  exhibit  it  every  week  of 
their  lives.  Nay,  so  prevalent  is  it,  and 
so  entirely  in  accordance  with  the  taste 


LECTURE  VIII.  229 

of  the  natural  heart,  that  men  make  a 
virtue  of  this  very  sin  of  lukewarmness 
which  God  condemns,  and  while  they 
admire  zeal  in  every  other  calling  in 
human  life,  the  zealous  poet,  the  zealous 
painter,  the  zealous  politician,  the  zealous 
man  of  business, — when  they  speak  of 
the  zealous  Christian,  the  epithet  changes 
its  very  meaning,  and  the  phrase  becomes 
a  sarcasm  and  a  sneer.  While  that 
degree  of  religion,  and  that  alone,  obtains 
the  commendation  of  the  world,  which 
is  precisely  described  by  our  Lord  as 
"neither  hot  nor  cold,"  the  object  of 
his  strongest  loathing  and  disgust. 

This,  however,  is  not  the  only  charge 
against  the  Laodicean  Church ;  our  Lord 
continues,  "  Because  thou  sayest  I  am 
rich,  and  increased  in  goods,  and  have 
need  of  nothing."  We  mentioned  at  the 
commencement  of  this  discourse,  that  the 
word  of  God  has  revealed,  that  Satan 
should  be  loosed  during  this  period,  that 
he  might  especially  deceive  the  nations. 
20 


230  LECTURE  VIII. 

How  successfully  he  should  succeed  in 
his  delusions,  the  words  before  us  fully 
testify. 

He  it  is,  and  he  only,  who  teaches 
men  amidst  the  wretchedness  of  their 
spiritual  poverty,  and  the  deadness  of 
their  spiritual  affections,  actually  to  pride 
themselves  upon  those  very  possessions, 
and  those  very  qualifications,  of  which 
they  are  utterly  destitute :  for  it  is  Satan 
who  teaches  men,  even  in  the  depth  of 
their  spiritual  poverty,  to  say,  "  I  am 
rich  and  increased  with  goods,  and  have 
need  of  nothing."  I  am  upright  and 
honourable,  amiable  and  high-minded,  and 
after  all,  this  is  the  true  wealth :  what 
does  religion  do  for  others,  which  a  high 
moral  principle  has  not  already  done  for 
me  ?  Search  all  the  generations  of  men, 
and  in  every  case,  except  where  the 
Spirit  of  God  has  enlightened  and  trans- 
formed the  heart,  there  will  you  find  this 
self-ignorance  and  self-deception,  and 
prevailing  even  in  a  far  lower  grade  of 


LECTURE  VIII.  231 

the  moral  standard  than  I  have  repre- 
sented. The  worldly  man  in  his  w^orld- 
liness,  the  thief  in  his  dishonesty,  the 
drunkard  in  his  drunkenness,  the  unchaste 
man  in  his  uncleanness,  will  all  return 
a  similar  answer.  Each  is  priding  himself 
upon  the  possession  of  a  single  virtue, 
which  he  thinks  fully  compensates  for 
his  thousand  crimes;  each,  in  the  self- 
sufficiency  of  his  heart,  is  saying,  "'  I  am 
rich,  and  have  need  of  nothing."  The 
spiritual  blessings  of  which  you  so  largely 
talk,  1  want  them  not ;  the  blood  of 
Christ  to  cleanse  me  from  all  sin  !  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  sanctify  me  !  a  God  with 
whom  to  be  reconciled!  No,  this  is 
enthusiasm,  these  are  all  delusions. 
Thank  God,  I  do  my  duty  in  my  station ; 
I  injure  no  man ;  if  I  am  even  my  own 
enemy,  I  am  the  enemy  of  no  other 
living  creature ;  I  need  nothing  more 
than  myself,  and  nothing  besides  myself, 
to  reconcile  me  to  God.  So  truly  might 
our  Lord  address  every  unconverted  man 


232  LECTURE  VIII. 

in  the  words  of  the  text,  "  Thou  knowest 
not  that  thou  art  wretched,  and  miserable, 
and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked." 

This  is  the  Saviour's  declaration,  the 
sentence  of  Him  unto  whom  all  hearts 
are  open,  and  from  whom  no  secrets  are 
hid :  this  he  says  to  every  individual 
born  into  the  world,  however  amiable 
and  benevolent,  and  upright  and  ex- 
cellent. "  Wretched  and  miserable,"  for 
you  have  attempted,  like  the  prodigal, 
to  satisfy  an  immortal  soul  with  the 
husks  which  the  swine  did  eat — "  Poor," 
for  you  are  utterly  destitute  of  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ — "Blind," 
for  you  have  no  moral  perception,  no 
spiritual  eye-sight — "  Naked,"  for  you 
have  nothing  but  the  tattered  garment 
of  your  own  righteousness  in  which  to 
stand  before  God.  And  in  addition  to 
all  this,  "  Thou  knowest  it  not,"  says 
our  Lord.  This  is  the  most  affecting 
portion  of  the  charge.  It  is  not  merely 
that   you   are   in   this    pitiable   state   of 


LECTURE  VIII.  233 

which  we  speak,  but  that  you  are  not 
aware  that  you  are  in  it.  This  is  the 
crowning  misery  of  the  unrenewed  man. 
If  you  knew  your  state,  if  you  would 
even  believe  the  honest  testimony  which 
the  word  of  God  bears  to  it,  all  would 
be  well ;  not  another  hour,  not  another 
moment  would  elapse,  before  you  would 
exclaim,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?" 
But  it  is  this  ignorance,  which  we  cannot 
remove,  this  infatuation  over  which  we 
have  no  power,  that  form  the  most  fright- 
ful symptoms  of  your  malady. 

Listen,  however,  to  the  words  of  the 
good  Physician,  whose  hand  can  heal, 
where  every  other  hand  is  powerless. 

This,  then,  is  the  advice  of  the  Saviour, 
"  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me,  gold  tried 
in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich ;  and 
white  raiment,  that  thou  mayest  be  clothed, 
and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do 
not  appear  ;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with 
eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see."* 

*  Revelation  iii.  18. 

20* 


234  LECTURE  VIIL 

"  I  counsel  thee  ;"  it  is  the  kind  and 
gentle  offer  of  a  friend.  Christ  knows 
with  the  certainty  of  Omniscience,  what, 
perhaps,  to  the  present  moment,  you  have 
never  known,  your  natural  poverty,  and 
nakedness,  and  bhndness ;  and  He  offers, 
what  you  perhaps  have  never  sought, 
and  what  you  certainly  can  never  else- 
where obtain;  gold,  and  garments,  and 
eye-salve.  So  wonderfully  are  the  gifls 
of  the  Saviour  apportioned  to  your  neces- 
sities and  your  wants.  The  gold  which 
He  offers,  has.  He  says,  been  tried  in  the 
fire,  and  has  not  been  consumed ;  no 
dross,  no  defilement  in  that  precious  ore, 
to  dread  the  furnace,  for  that  gold  is 
the  worthiness  of  Christ,  which  has  long 
since  borne  every  test,  and  which  came 
forth  from  the  furnace  even  of  Calvary 
itself,  pure  and  undefiled  as  it  entered. 
The  "raiment"  which  He  ofl'ers  you  is 
"  white,"  yes,  so  as  no  fuller  on  earth 
could  whiten  it,  for  that  raiment  is  the 
unspotted    righteousness    of    your     Re- 


LECTURE  VIII.  235 

deemer,  in  which  when  once  you  are 
arrayed,  Omniscience  itself  can  discover 
neither  spot  nor  stain  in  you.  The 
"  eye-salve,"  which  He  ofiers  you  is  such, 
that  he  declares  it  will  not  merely 
improve  your  sight,  but  will  actually 
restore  it,  that  whereas  you  were  blind, 
now  you  shall  see ;  for  that  eye-salve  is 
the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  of  light,  by 
which  alone,  as  all  Scripture  testifies,  the 
•'  eyes  of  our  mind  being  enlightened," 
we  are  taught  to  know  what  is  the  hope 
of  His  calling,  and  what  the  glory  of 
His  inheritance  in  the  saints. 

If  we  thus  examine  each  of  the 
remedies  here  proposed  to  us,  however 
they  may  appear  to  differ,  the  same 
remarkable  peculiarity,  to  which  we  re- 
ferred in  a  former  discourse,  will  again 
be  found  to  attend  them  all ;  they  are 
all  to  be  bought  of  Christ,  and  they  are 
all  comprised  in  Christ.  Establishing 
most  incontrovertibly  this  great  Bible 
truth,  that  the  want   of  every  destitute 


^36  LECTURE  VIII. 

sinner  is  one  and  the  same,  for  it  is,  in 
fact,  the  want  of  a  Saviour.  If  you  are 
poor,  Christ  is  "  gold  ;"  if  you  are  bUnd, 
Christ's  spirit  is  "  eye-salve  ;"  if  you  are 
naked,  Christ's  righteousness  is  "  rai- 
ment," He  is  the  depositary  of  every  gift 
of  God,  nay  more.  He  is  himself  "  the 
unspeakable  gift"  of  God ;  and  therefore 
for  all  that  you  can  need,  and  for  each 
that  you  can  need.  He  sends  you  to 
none  besides  Himself — "  I  counsel  thee, 
to  buy  of  Me."  Ask  of  Him  in  faithful 
prayer,  believing ;  and  every  w^ant  shall 
be  supplied,  and  every  desire  fulfilled. 

Our  Lord  having  thus  spoken  the 
language  of  mingled  reproof  and  counsel 
to  this  lukewarm,  and  self-sufficient,  and 
ignorant  Church,  proceeds  to  convince 
them,  that  desperate  as  is  their  case,  it 
is  not  hopeless,  and  thus  to  urge  them 
not  to  despair,  but  to  repent.  "  As 
many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten; 
be  zealous  therefore,  and  repent."  Learn 
from   this   compassionate   language,  ad- 


LECTURE  VIII.  237 

dressed  to  the  Church  during  the  very 
darkest  portion  of  that  Church's  history, 
one  blessed  and  comforting  truth;  God 
never  hates  the  sinner.  "As  many  as 
I  love,  I  rebuke."  He  hates  the  sin, 
He  w^ould  not  be  God,  if  He  did  not ; 
He  therefore  hates  the  sin  w^ith  a  holy 
and  perfect  hatred,  and  He  rebukes, 
but  He  never  hates  the  sinner. 

Would  that  every  open  sinner  now 
present,  might  carry  away  this  truth 
deeply  engraven  upon  his  heart.  You 
disobey  God,  you  forget  God,  you 
openly  affront  God,  nay  we  could  even 
prove  though  you  may  not  allow  it, 
that  you  hate  God,  but  God  never  has 
one  feeling  of  hatred  towards  you.  "  God 
so  loved  the  world," — and  remember,  a 
world  lying  in  sin  ;  full  of  sinners, — "  that 
He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  to  the 
end  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life."*     And  again,  "  Herein  is  love,  not 

*  John  iii.  16. 


238  LECTURE  VIII. 

that  we  loved  God," — therefore  the  apostle 
speaks  of  our  unconverted  state, — "but 
that  He  loved  us."*  Yes,  brethren,  at 
this  moment,  that  God  who  would  have 
all  men  to  be  saved,  and  to  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  so  loves  the 
most  thoughtless,  cold,  forgetful,  luke- 
warm among  you,  that  He  is  desi- 
rous of  your  salvation,  anxious,  above 
all  other  things,  concerning  you,  that 
you  should  repent  of  sin,  and  believe 
in  Christ,  and  be  saved  with  an  ever- 
lasting salvation.  "  Be  zealous,  there- 
fore ;"  so  God  himself  requires  you,  be 
in  earnest.  Is  the  soul  worth  no  anxiety, 
no  fervour,  no  zeal?  Mind  not  what 
men  say  of  zeal,  and  what  you  yourself 
have  hitherto  thought  of  it,  these  are 
God's  own  words,  "  Be  zealous,  therefore, 
and  repent;"  it  is  a  business,  in  which 
nothing  but  zeal,  heartfelt,  glowing, 
ardent  zeal  can  be  powerful  enough  to 
carry  you  through  ;    and  if  you  resolve 

«  1  John  iv.  10. 


LECTURE  VIII.  239 

that  you  will  not  seek  this  zeal,  that 
you  will  not  pray  for  it,  that  you  will 
continue  cold  and  heartless,  as  you  have 
ever  been,  in  the  great  things  of  eternity, 
we  are  bound  to  tell  you,  that  although 
God  loves  you,  He  will  not  save  you ; 
nay,  He  cannot  save  you,  for  God  cannot 
contradict  Himself,  and  He  has  thus 
declared,  "  The  wicked  shall  be  turned 
into  hell,  and  all  the  people  that  forget 
God."  Perish  therefore  you  most  un- 
questionably will  in  the  dark  waters, 
even  though  in  sight  of  the  shore. 

But  listen  yet  once  again,  to  the 
promise  which  succeeds  the  precept. 
''Behold,"  says  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
"  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  ;  if  any 
man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with 
him,  and  he  with  me." 

What  remarkable  language  !  what  an 
astonishing  picture  of  the  love  of  Christ 
to  every  individual !  for  this  is  addressed 
to  every  human  being  who  has  not  yet 


240  LECTURE  VIII. 

opened  his  heart  for  the  reception  of 
true  rehgion,  the  admittance  of  the 
Saviour.  "  Behold !  I  stand  at  the 
door  and  knock !"  what  condescension ! 
The  Lord  is  now  waiting  to  be  gra- 
cious !  and,  brethren,  he  is  not  stand- 
ing there  to-day  for  the  first  time. 
No ;  he  has  long  been  standing,  long 
been  knocking  at  the  door  of  your 
hearts.  Do  you  doubt  it?  Then  con- 
sider only  for  a  moment.  Have  you 
ever  suffered  from  worldly  trials  and 
disappointments  ?  Did  you  ever  lose 
some  well-loved  child,  some  affection- 
ate relative,  some  dear  friend  ?  Were 
you  ever  cast  upon  a  bed  of  sickness  ? 
Did  you  ever  feel  an  unaccountable 
misgiving  at  your  heart  that  all  was  not 
right  within  ?  that  if  you  died  you  knew 
not  what  should  happen  after  death, — a 
consideration  that  there  was  much  in  your 
practice,  much  in  your  thoughts,  much 
in  your  life,  utterly  displeasing  to 
God,  and  for  which  a  momentary  pang 


LECTURE  VIII.  241 

of  conscience  obtained  a  hearing  ?  Those 
were  all  knockings,  loud,  distinct,  un- 
earthly knockings  of  the  Saviour  at 
your  heart,  and  asking  for  admittance. 
And  these  are  not  the  events  of  yes- 
terday or  to-day  alone.  No ;  they  have 
been  going  on  throughout  your  life. 
For  mark  how  clearly  this  is  mani- 
fested by  our  Lord's  own  declaration. 
Metaphorical,  as  it  no  doubt  is,  can 
any  thing  more  plainly  proclaim  the 
time  of  day,  of  which  he  is  speaking, 
than  the  meal  to  which  he  alludes. 
He  desires  to  be  admitted,  that  he 
may  sup  with  you.  It  is,  then,  the 
evening  hour  of  which  he  speaks. 
And  how  has  your  day  been  passed  ? 
Look  back  a  moment,  and  observe 
what  God  has  already  done  for  you. 
In  the  morning  of  your  life,  when  all 
was  fresh  around  you  and  within  you, 
before  sin  had  hardened  into  habit, 
Christ  was  there,  offering  Himself  at 
the  door  of  your  heart,  as  one  of  the 
21 


242  LECTURE  VIII. 

earliest  of  its  guests ;  brought  there 
perhaps  by  a  parent's  prayers,  a  mo- 
ther's fond  entreaties.  But,  even  then, 
"hfe's  journey  just  began,"  you  re- 
fused to  let  Him  in.  Once  more 
look  back  to  that  season,  when,  in- 
fancy and  childhood  over,  you  became 
a  man,  and  put  away  childish  things. 
Yes,  Christ  was  there  again,  in  the 
mid-day  of  life,  knocking,  O  how  loudly, 
by  some  warning  Providence,  some  awak- 
ening word,  some  providential  recovery 
from  illness,  or  escape  from  danger, 
some  spiritual  conviction.  Again  He 
was  refused  admittance.  And  now  it 
is  evening  with  you;  you  cannot  dis- 
guise the  fact ;  morning,  mid-day,  after- 
noon, all  are  past,  and  the  lengthened 
shadows  of  evening  will  force  themselves 
upon  your  observation.  Yes,  it  is  even- 
ing with  you,  and  to-day  He  is  once 
more  there,  beseeching  you  to  admit 
Him,  by  all  the  great  and  affecting  truths 
which  have  this  week   been  set   before 


LECTURE  VIII.  243 

you, — by  His  table  spread  for  you,  upon 
which  you  have  so  often  turned  your 
back, — by  His  invitations  sent  to  you, 
which  you  have  so  often  disregarded, — 
by  His  ministers  pleading  with  you, 
which  you  have  so  long  neglected, — 
nay  more,  by  His  agony  and  bloody 
sweat,  by  His  cross  and  passion,  by  His 
precious  death  and  burial,  by  His  glo- 
rious resurrection, — He  is  this  day 
knocking  for  admittance,  anxious,  most 
anxious,  that  you  should  open  to  Him, 
that  He  should  come  in  to  you,  and  sup 
with  you,  and  you  with  Him,  before 
the  night  cometh,  and  He  withdraws 
Himself  for  ever,  a  slighted  visiter,  a  re- 
jected suitor,  an  insulted  guest. 

My  brethren,  is  it  possible  that  these 
offers  of  a  Saviour  and  of  His  salvation 
should  be  so  constant,  so  pressing,  and 
yet  so  unattended  to  ?  We  know  that 
your  hearts  may  be  already  occupied 
by  the  world,  by  folly,  by  sin,  who  have 
all  entered  in,  and  taken  possession,  and 


244  LECTURE  VIII. 

barred  up  the  door,  and  kept  the  Saviour 
out.  But  must  it  ever  be  so?  Will 
you  not — and  I  plead  with  you  for  the 
sake  of  your  own  undying  souls — will 
you  not,  before  all  hope  is  extinguished, 
before  life  has  fled,  will  you  not  once 
cry  to  the  strong  for  strength,  to  unbar 
this  door,  and  to  admit  the  Saviour,  with 
all  His  commands,  and  all  his  promises, 
into  your  soul  ?  Be  not,  we  beseech 
you,  so  hardened  against  your  own  mer- 
cies. If  you  but  knew  a  thousandth 
part  of  the  peace,  the  comfort,  the  joy, 
which  the  Saviour  brings  with  Him, 
you  would  not  delay  another  moment. 
But  then,  alas !  you  never  can  know 
this  but  by  experience  ;  for  has  not  His 
word  declared  that  it  is  a  "joy  with 
which  a  stranger  intermeddleth  not :"  a 
joy  which,  even  upon  earth,  makes  His 
people  the  happiest,  and  the  calmest, 
amidst  all  the  vicissitudes  of  time,  and 
yet  is  here  as  nothing  compared  with 
the  joys  to  which  it  leads  at  God's  right 


LECTURE  Vlir.  245 

hand.  Its  seed-time  only  now,  its  har- 
vest-time, and  O,  the  riches  of  that  har- 
vest, throughout  the  ages  of  eternity. 
And  these  joys  are  at  this  moment  within 
your  reach,  yes,  we  scruple  not  to  say, 
within  the  reach  of  all  and  every  one 
here  present ;  but  we  cannot  secure 
them  for  you.  No  man  may  deliver 
his  brother,  or  make  atonement  unto 
God  for  him,  for  it  cost  more  to  re- 
deem their  souls,  so  that  he  must  let 
that  alone  for  ever,  says  the  Psalmist : 
but  of  this  we  may,  and  do  most  con- 
fidently assure  you,  that  it  is  your  own 
fault  alone,  if  you  possess  them  not. 
"To  him  that  overcometh,  will  I  grant 
to  sit  with  me  on  my  throne,  even  as 
I  also  overcame,  and  am  sat  down  with 
my  Father  on  His  throne." 

21* 


NOTE. 


The  plan  of  these  Lectures  not  having  permitted 
the  Author  to  dwell  upon  the  historical  details  of 
the  different  Churches  to  which  they  refer,  he 
thinks  it  may  not  be  unacceptable  to  his  younger 
readers,  to  present  them  with  a  short  account  of  the 
present  state  of  the  places  in  which  these  celebrated 
Churches  once  flourished. 

The  following  notices  of  them  are  selected  from 
the  Rev.  John  Hartley's  "  Researches  in  Greece 
and  the  Levant."  The  Apocalyptic  Churches  were 
visited  by  him  in  1826. 

Ephesus. — "  In  a  missionary  point  of  view. 
Ephesus  offers  now  no  attractions ;  her  ancient 
Church  has  vanished — the  candlestick  has  been 
removed — and  even  the  Turks  who  dwell  at  hand 
are  few  in  number."  p.  233.  "  The  plough  has 
passed  over  the  site  of  the  city !  and  we  saw  the 
green  corn  growing  in  all  directions  amidst  the 
forsaken  ruins."  p.  235.  ♦*  At  Ephesus,  we  find 
at  present  only  one  individual  who  bears   the  name 


NOTE.  247 

of  Christ !  and  where  in  the  whole  region  do  we 
discover  any  semblance  of  primitive  Christianity! 
The  country  once  favoured  with  the  presence  of  St. 
Paul,  of  Timothy,  and  St.  John,  is  now  in  the  situ- 
ation of  those  lands,  of  which  it  is  said,  Darkness 
covers  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people. 
He,  then,  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  Churches.''  p.  239. 

Smyrna. — "  The  Church  of  Smyrna  is  repre- 
sented (Rev.  ii.  8 — 11)  as  contending  with  most 
severe  sufferings — poverty,  slander,  and  persecution: 
but  modern  Smyrna  is  a  far  greater  sufferer.  The 
former  things  have  passed  away :  the  faithful 
Smyrnaeans  have  long  since  fought  their  battle  and 
won  their  crown.  But  now  the  evils  are  of  a 
different  order — apostacy,  idolatry,  superstition, 
infidelity,  and  their  tremendous  consequences." 
p.  225.  Of  the  population  of  Smyrna  at  present, 
Mr.  Hartley  says,  "  Perhaps  there  may  be  45,000 
Turks,  15,000  Greeks,  8,000  Armenians,  8,000 
Jews,  and  less  than  1,000  Europeans.  The  mosques 
are  more  than  twenty.  The  Greeks  have  three 
churches;  the  Armenians,  one;  the  Latins,  two; 
the  Protestants,  two.  The  Jews  have  several 
synagogues."  p.  226. 

Pergamos, — Does  not  appear  to  have  been  visited 
by  Mr.  Hartley. 


^48  NOTE. 

Thyatira. — "  Ak-kissar,  the  modern  Thyatira, 
is  situated  on  a  plain,  and  is  embosomed  in  cypresses 
and  poplars.  The  buildings  are  in  general  mean  ; 
but  the  khan  in  which  we  are  at  present  residing 
is  by  far  the  best  which  I  have  yet  seen.  The 
Greeks  are  said  to  occupy  three  hundred  houses, 
and  the  Armenians  thirty.  Each  of  them  has  a 
church."  p.  296. 

Sardis. — "This  morning  I  have  visited  Sardis, 
once  the  splendid  capital  of  Lydia,  the  famous  resi- 
dence of  Croesus,  the  resort  of  Persian  monarchs, 
and  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  magnificent  cities 
of  the  world.  Now  how  fallen  !  The  ruins  are, 
with  one  exception,  more  entirely  gone  to  decay 
than  those  of  the  most  ancient  cities  which  we  have 
visited.  No  Christians  reside  on  the  spot :  two 
Greeks  only  work  in  a  mill  here,  and  a  few  wretched 
Turkish  huts  are  scattered  among  the  ruins.  I  read 
amidst  the  ruins  the  Epistle  addressed  to  the  Church 
once  fixed  here.  What  an  impressive  warning  to 
Christian  Churches !  Ji  name  to  live,  while  deaiV' 
p.  294. 

Philadelphia. — "  The  town  is  situated  on  a 
rising  ground,  beneath  the  snowy  Mount  Timolus." 
"  We  entered  through  a  ruined  wall ;  massy,  but  by 
no  means  of  great  antiquity."  "There  is  still  a 
numerous    Christian    population,    occupying    three 


NOTE.  240 

hundred  houses.  Divine  service  is  performed  every 
Sunday,  in  five  churches  ;  and  there  are  twenty  of  a 
smaller  description,  in  which  once  a  year  the  Liturgy 
is  read.  But  though  the  candlestick  remains,  its 
light  is  obscured  :  the  lamp  still  exists,  but  where 
is  its  oil  f  Where  is  now  the  word  of  our  Lord's 
patience? — it  is  conveyed  in  sounds  unintelligible 
to  those  who  hear.  When  the  very  Epistle  to  their 
own  church  is  read,  they  understand  it  not."  "  In 
a  word,  Philadelphia  has  had  her  share  in  that  utter 
apostacy  from  true  and  practical  Christianity  which 
has  been  the  bane  of  the  East."  p.  289. 

La-odicea. — "  The  city  of  Laodicea  was  seated 
on  a  hill  of  moderate  height,  but  of  considerable 
extent.  Its  ruins  attest  that  it  was  large,  populous, 
and  splendid.  There  are  still  to  be  seen  an  amphi- 
theatre, a  theatre,  an  aqueduct,  and  many  other 
buildings.  But  its  present  condition  is  in  striking 
conformity  with  the  rebuke  and  threatening  of  God. 
Not  a  single  Christian  resides  at  Laodicea!  No 
Turk  has  ever  fixed  a  residence  on  this  forsaken 
spot.  Infidelity  itself  must  confess,  that  the  menace 
of  the  Scriptures  has  been  executed."  p.  259. 


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